HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC_2019_07_11_AgendaPacket CC PC Joint ECR Plan
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
Atascadero City Council
Atascadero Planning Commission
Thursday, July 11, 2019
6:00 P.M.
Atascadero City Hall Council Chambers, 4th Floor
6500 Palma Avenue, Atascadero, California
(Enter from Lewis Avenue)
AGENDA
ROLL CALL:
DISCUSSION:
1. Council Update: The El Camino Plan Corridor Study – The El Camino Plan
(Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant)
Council and Planning Commission review and provide input regarding selected
opportunity sites and conceptual land use sketches, which will be further
developed as part of the El Camino Plan
ADJOURNMENT:
The City Council will adjourn to its Special Meeting on July 11, 2019, in session; and the Planning
Commission will adjourn to its next Regular Session on July 16, 2019.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO )
CITY OF ATASCADERO )
AMANDA MUTHER, being fully sworn, deposes, and says: That she is the Deputy City Clerk of the City of
Atascadero and that on July 5, 2019, she caused the above Notice to be posted at the Atascadero City Hall, 6500
Palma Avenue, Atascadero, California and was available for public review in the Customer Service Center at that
location.
AMANDA MUTHER, Deputy City Clerk
City of Atascadero
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Joint Session
Atascadero City Council & Planning Commission
Staff Report – Community Development Department
Council Update:
The El Camino Corridor Study – The El Camino Plan
(Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant)
RECOMMENDATION:
Council and Planning Commission review and provide input regarding selected
opportunity sites and conceptual land use sketches which will be further developed as
part of The El Camino Plan.
REPORT IN BRIEF:
City staff and the project consultant, PlaceWo rks, are currently are in the process of
gathering data and performing outreach for the corridor study known as The El Camino
Plan. The study is being funded by a Caltrans planning grant, which was awarded to
the City in an amount of $176,800. The El Cami no Plan is intended to serve as a vision
plan for key portions of the El Camino Corridor. To supplement the vision plan, a
market analysis has also being prepared to identify economic opportunities and analyze
commercial land use potential along the corridor.
It is time to check in on the progress of the work and to gather community and City
Council input prior to assembling the final work product. City staff has prepared the
following report to illustrate some of the data that has been put together and to receive
feedback from Council and the public prior to continuing this process. The final product
will be a vision document including graphics that will provide a long-range vision for key
areas along El Camino Real.
DISCUSSION:
Background:
In 2017, the City of Atascadero was awarded a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation
Planning Grant to complete a corridor study that emphasizes land use and
transportation concepts. Caltrans is contributing up to $176,800 in grant funds to pay
for a consultant to develop the Corridor Plan along with City staff assistance. The
Atascadero City Council accepted the Caltrans planning grant by resolution in
November 2017, and in June 2018 Council authorized PlaceWorks as the consultant to
work on the project. Council also authorized a market analysis, to be funded by the City
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of Atascadero in an amount not to exceed $25,000. The Market Analysis is a
supplement to the vision plan and looks at how the corridor functions on an economic
level. The market analysis will help to identify Atascadero’s role and potential as a
commercial destination.
The purpose of the El Camino Real Corridor Study is to promote long-term fiscal
sustainability for the community by formulating transportation and land use strategies
that will attract economic development in an effort to help the Community achieve
balance. The final Corridor Plan is intended to serve as a vision plan for future
improvements and land uses along the El Camino Real corridor, and will be a tool to aid
the next General Plan update. The El Camino Plan corridor study will be completed by
the end of 2019 in accordance with grant deadlines.
Public Outreach - October 6, 2018 Event:
City staff and PlaceWorks held the first public outreach event for the El Camino Plan on
Saturday, October 6, 2018 during Colony Days. The event was well attended, with
several hundred people stopping by the booth outside City Hall to learn about the
Corridor Plan and provide input about what they like about El Camino Real, and what
needs improvement.
Several stations were set up as part of the outreach event. The goal was to obtain
ideas and feedback from the public regarding potential circulation, land use,
architectural styles, and streetscape along the corridor. A variety of boards and
activities were set up to engage the public. Members of the public ranked images they
preferred with colored dots, and added notes on the ma p to identify ideas and areas of
improvement.
Participants were asked to review several corridor improvement ideas and identi fy
which ideas they liked best. Each participant was given a limited number of dots for
each of the street elements (i.e., bicycle zone, median, street palette), so they had to
prioritize their choices. Sample input, based on the images selected and the general
comments regarding street elements, are included below:
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Support for medians to shorten pedestrian crossing distance. Planted median
islands with staggered turn lanes received the highest ranking by dot vote.
Strong support for trees between the sidewalk and street, citing the need for
shade in the hot weather. The image with street trees with planters along the
sidewalk received 89% votes.
Strong support for in-pavement crosswalk lights (65% of dot votes). People were
familiar with the existing one near the Sunken Gardens and believe it is effective.
People liked the idea of buffered bike lanes so bicyclists could have additional
protection, but some expressed concern about potentially losing capacity to
accommodate them.
On-street parking with painted bike lanes received the highest ranking by dot
vote (65%) and the option with a bike lane with buffer and no on-street parking
came in second (35% of dot votes).
A number of people felt that any removal of on-street parking in the downtown
area would be problematic, but thought it was fine for outlying areas where on-
street parking use was light.
Most people were generally very enthusiastic about enhancing conditions for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
Participants were asked to identify (with a dot) the architectural style examples they
liked. Most people responded positively to keeping the “Colony style” within downtown,
either as a single style or with “Spanish style”. Some people said that they would like to
see Colony style buildings throughout the whole corridor and some said they would like
to see it integrated with other styles.
Atascadero Colony style was ranked as the favorite style, with 50% of the t otal
dots placed on this board
Mission – Spanish Colonial Revival was also popular, with 23% of the dot votes
Rustic Modern ranked third, with 13% of the dots votes
Craftsman, Modern, and Neoclassical received the fewest votes, with only 8%,
6% and 2% of the dot votes respectively
Architectural Boards from October 2018 Public Outreach Event
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There were several comments from people who said they did not want Atascadero to
look like San Luis Obispo and want to see the City keep its unique identity. Others
referred to the historic architecture as “authentic.” Other general comments regarding
architectural styles included:
- Manage the color schemes being used – strive for more neutral
- Need updated and “firm” design guidelines for the selected styles
- Don’t want “rubber stamped” buildings – need better design standards
- Architectural themes could be focused at key nodes as character defining elements
- Modern architecture is not right for the downtown
Participants at the public outreach event were asked to provide general comments
about what they liked or didn’t like along the corridor. Lists of comments were
developed, and participants added sticky notes to a very large map of the corridor. The
input reached beyond the corridor. The following themes were repeated throughout the
comments at the October 2018 event:
– Desire to see an increase in restaurants, shopping and services in the City.
People want more places to go and new businesses to meet the local needs of
the community. More dining options in the downtown
– Many complained that the commercial districts along El Camino Real are “too
spread out and lack a cohesive commercial center”
– Add more trees
– Want mixed-use along the corridor, apartments above retail
– Need cohesive designs in building styles & architectural districts along El Camino
Real. Currently very mismatched. Need better design standards
– Concerns regarding the homeless population were brought up by many people
– Interest in conducting a town hall meeting, people to hear each other’s ideas
Idea Board from October 2018 Public Outreach event
Scanned images of the October 6 event outreach boards with voting dots, and a
summary of all public input obtained from the outreach event , are included as
Attachment 2 of this report.
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Public Outreach – El Camino Plan Public Questionnaire
In addition to the Colony Days event, a public input questionnaire was sent out through
social media, the City’s website, and paper copies at City Hall to get feedback and a list
of priorities from residents and business owners. The City collected a total of 298
completed questionnaires, which included 231 online responses and 67 hand written
submittals. While not a statistically valid “poll” or ”survey”, the thoughtful responses to
the questionnaire provided valuable insight. The majority of respondents were
residents, with 58% living in Atascadero, and an additional 33% who both live and work
in Atascadero.
44% of respondents stated that they shop or dine along El Camino Real several times a
week. Frequency at other services (medical, dental, veterinary, and professional
services) was lower, with 20% of respondents using other services several times a
week, and at largest 32% using other services less than once a month.
When asked what services people currently travel outside Atascadero for, and what is
missing or lacking along the corridor, retail, entertainment, and dining came in as the
highest response. 70% of respondents stated that they travel outside the City to shop,
and 62% travel outside the City limits to eat. 58% said that the City needs more sit-
down dining options. The questionnaire also provided an opportunity for individuals to
write in specific responses, which included repeated requests for big box stores like
Costco, Target, and Walmart, employment opportunities/jobs, upscale dining, higher
end grocery stores (Trader Joe's, Lassen's, Califo rnia Fresh), clothing stores, live music
venues, and family/kid friendly activities.
In response to questions about alternative transportation , such as walking and biking,
18% of respondents stated that they walk or bike along the corridor often, 38% stated
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rarely, and 44% said they do not walk or bicycle along the corridor. The number one
answer (34%) for why people don’t walk or bike is that the businesses are too spread
out along the corridor. Lack of shade along the sidewalk and not feeling safe using bike
lanes or walking were other common responses. Cited open-ended responses included
the following:
The corridor is not very walkable
Don't feel safe biking
Homeless /panhandlers
There are no pedestrian or biking connections to the corridor
Not enough pleasant pedestrian pathways to enjoy walking or biking
Not an "inviting" environment for walking or biking - not very pretty or enjoyable
Too much car traffic, noise, exhaust, speeding
Not enough businesses to walk to
Need safer places to cross the street with good lighting
The online public questionnaire included an option for respondents to rank t he top
improvements they would like to see along the El Camino Real corridor. The City
received 231 responses to this question, which ranked prioriti es based on their level of
importance (1 Highest, 8 Lowest.)
45% of respondents identified more retail, restaurant, and entertainment uses as
their number one priority, and it made the top 3 priorities for 73% of respondents
41% identified employment opportunities as one of their top 3 priorities
40% identified street trees and landscaping as one of their top 3 priorities
Fixing traffic congestion at freeway interchanges and improved pedestrian
access / crossings were identified as mid-level priorities
Private property building and landscape maintenance was ranked as a
mid-to-low priority by many, with 47% including it in their bottom 3 priorities
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26% of respondents identified housing options as their lowest priority, with 54%
categorizing housing in their bottom 3 priorities
29% of respondents identified improved bike facilities as their lowest priority, and
58% identified it in their bottom 3 priorities
What are the top improvements you would like to see along the El Camino Real corridor?
The public questionnaire included two open-ended questions, which provided a
substantial amount of feedback regarding what is most important to the community to
preserve and to improve. Reoccurring responses and themes to those questions are
included below:
Open-ended question #1: What do you like most about Atascadero?
Small-town character
Friendly people
Family-friendly
Quality of life
Feels safe
The trees
Wide open space, peace and quiet
Best theater, great restaurants, good
selection of small, independent
businesses
That it is improving – downtown area
is growing with shops & restaurants
Not a lot of traffic
History, character, potential
Central location within the Central
Coast
Rural and relaxed atmosphere
Beautiful parks
Sense of community, people look out
for each other
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Open-ended question #2: Are there any other comments, thoughts, or
suggestions you would like to share about El Camino Real in Atascadero?
Concerns about run down
establishments, used car lots
That El Camino Real is so long and
spread out that it lacks a sense of
place or consistency
Unattractive appearance, feels like
one long strip mall
Break the length into districts in name
and design and focus retail opportunities
towards the hub of each district
Identify areas for large employment
developments outside of downtown
More pedestrian access and bike
access
Empty buildings create blight
Focus on downtown
Concerns regarding homeless
population
Slowing down traffic in the downtown
area, add more parking, and make
the area more pedestrian friendly
Concerns about traffic calming or
removing lanes on El Camino Real
Create a definable downtown; there's
too much endless sprawl along El
Camino Real without defined districts
Replace professional offices
surrounding the Sunken Gardens with
restaurants
The complete responses to the public question naire and the complete list of open-
ended responses are included as Attachment 3 of this report.
Stakeholder Interviews:
As part of developing the Market Analysis and the Corridor Plan, PlaceWorks
conducted interviews in December 2018 with approximately 10 local stakeholder
groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, local realtors, business owners, property
owners, and local developers. Comments from the stakeholder outreach will be
incorporated into the Market Analysis and Corridor Plan.
Market Conditions:
In conjunction with the Caltrans grant funded Corridor Plan, a Market Analysis has been
drafted to serve as a basis for making land use and transportation decisions along the
corridor. The Market Analysis is an economic study, and therefore is not the type of
work that could be covered under the Caltrans Sustainable Planning grant. In order to
know which types of businesses and commercial uses to plan for in Atascadero, it is
necessary to identify where the gaps are, where the retail leakage is occurring, and
where there may be an overconcentration of particular commercial uses. In June 2018,
the Atascadero City Council authorized City funding not to exceed $25,000 to prepare a
market study to quantify market potential along the El Camino Real corridor.
The Market Analysis uses data provided by the State E mployment Development
Department. A land use inventory, both within the study area and in areas of influence,
was completed by City staff and used by the Consultant to assess concentration of
uses along the corridor. PlaceWorks’ Market Analysis is included as Attachment 4 to
this report.
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The Market Analysis finds that there is near-term demand for new retail development in
Atascadero.
Market demand is the additional retail building square footage that the market can
support based on the difference between the amount of sales at stores in the City and
the amount residents spend overall.
The data shows that there is current market demand for approxima tely 58,000 square
feet of convenience goods stores, with strong need for restaurants and drinking places,
as well as health and personal care stores. Current market demand also shows the
need for 504,000 square feet of comparison goods, including home and furniture
stores, electronics and appliance stores, and clothing stores.
Market Potential for Additional Convenience-Goods
Retail Businesses (Gross Floor Area, sq. ft.), Atascadero
2018 Estimate 2023 Projection
Food & Beverage Stores (9,800) (1,600)
Health & Personal Care Stores 14,700 18,300
Gasoline Stations 5,600 7,000
Miscellaneous Store Retailers 8,800 14,000
Total Food & Drink 38,700 44,000
Convenience Goods Total 58,000 81,700
Market Potential for Additional Comparison-Goods
Businesses (Gross Floor Area, sq. ft.), Atascadero
2018
Estimate
2023
Projection
Furniture & Home Furnishings Stores 94,000 100,800
Electronics & Appliance Stores 33,100 36,000
Bldg. Materials, Garden Equip. & Supply Stores (8,600) (1,700)
Clothing & Clothing Accessories Stores 174,400 184,600
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book & Music Stores 28,800 32,700
General Merchandise Stores 182,300 194,900
Comparison Goods Total 504,000 547,400
Since the recession, Americans have begun to make a fundamental change in
spending patterns. Increased consumer spending is taking place online, at restaurants,
and for entertainment and recreation. Bricks-and-mortar stores still account for the vast
majority of sales (83%, down from 88% five years ago.) Since the recession, the
amount of inflation-adjusted taxable retail sales per household has increased slightly in
Atascadero but is still substantially below the pre-recession level. In contrast, the level
is at or near the pre-recession level countywide and in Paso Robles, while sales have
exceeded the pre-recession level in San Luis Obispo. The retail sector in Atascadero
has not yet fully recovered from the recession.
Market demand in
black suggests
households travel
elsewhere to shop
(known as retail
spending leakage)
• Market demand in
red suggests that
stores already
attract consumer
spending from
outside of the area
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One of the challenges facing retail growth in Atascadero is the outdated nature of so me
of the existing building stock along with the lack of a defined town center . Along some
parts of the corridor, stand-alone, single-story buildings exist on an individual lot with
their own driveway and parking lot. In other areas, retail businesses are interspersed
among light industrial, self -storage, and other uses, lacking visibility and easy
accessibility. Many of these locations have tenant turnover and vacancy issues, and
which result in lower lease rates. Low lease rates limit the ability of prope rty owners to
maintain and invest in their properties. Low lease rates also make it harder for better
situated retail properties to command lease rates high enough to support new
development and reinvestment in existing properties.
The Market Analysis findings suggest that to capitalize on the market potential, the El
Camino Plan should focus on creating and enhancing experience -oriented shopping
districts and centers, which can compete with the continuing shift to online retail. The
plan should also identify strategies to allow the transition of some outdated retail
buildings to other uses in order to reduce vacancies and to increase lease rates to
levels that will support new retail development and reinvestment in existing retail
properties. For example, some areas might be better served with a mixed use, light
industrial, business park or other commercial that is non-retail.
Taxable Retail Sales by Jurisdiction
Jobs and employment sectors are also considered in the Market Analysis. Relative to
the number of households, Atascadero has fewer jobs than the County, State, and
nearby cities.
There are 0.73 jobs in Atascadero for each household
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If Atascadero had the same number of jobs relative to households as the
countywide rate, there would be 1,880 more jobs in the City, an increase of
21.6%
As of 2015, there were 8,715 jobs in Atascadero, and 13,289 City residents were
employed
As of 2015, 35.4% of jobs in Atascadero were held by City residents and 76.8%
of the City’s residents worked in jobs outside of the City (hence the amount of
traffic on Highway 101 is at peak hours in the morning and evening)
If the industrial sector and the business and professional services sector
provided jobs in Atascadero at the countywide rate, there would be an additiona l
533 jobs in the City
Based on the Market Analysis findings, as a share of total employment, the industrial
sector and the business and professional services sector account for a smaller
percentage of jobs, especially in comparison to Paso Robles and the County as a
whole. Atascadero needs to attract more employment opportunities to improve the
community quality of life and reduce job commutes. Both industrial firms and business
and professional services firms represent opportunities for economic development and
new jobs in Atascadero.
Based on the Market Study analysis, the El Camino Plan should consider the
following:
Plan for Experience-Oriented Retail. The Market Study finds that there is a
substantial amount of leaked retail spending that could support additional retail
businesses. However, with the changing nature of retail due to internet sales, the
walkability, entertainment and recreation opportunities, and the experience of a
place have become increasingly important for sustainable and lucrative retail
districts and centers.
Number of Jobs by Jurisdiction
Employment in Industrial and
Professional/ Business Sectors
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Big-Box is a Maybe. The Market Study finds that there is sufficient consumer
spending to support big-box retail, but with the changing nature of retail, it may
be difficult to attract investment from national chains. The plan need not do away
with development standards that accommodate large format retailers, but the
plan also should not rely on the attraction of such a business.
Provide for Transition of Older Retail Buildings. The plan should provide
ways that property owners with older and, perhaps, obsolete retail buildings can
transition their property to an alternative use if interested. Office and
manufacturing facilities may be appropriate in some parts of the corridor. In
some circumstances, multifamily residential might also be appropriate, most
often when it is within walking distance of a planned experience -oriented retail
district or center or when it is part of a mixed -use building.
Partner with the local economic development interests. The City can partner
with local economic development groups and regional professionals to provide
insight, networking, outreach and knowledge regarding local businesses and
budding entrepreneurs interested in starting a new business in Atascadero.
Plan for New Office Development. The plan should identify ways of
accommodating at least 50,000 square feet of new office space in proximity to
walkable retail districts or centers. Considering the long-term potential, the plan
could accommodate up to 200,000 square feet of office. Areas outside of the
El Camino Plan could also accommodate some of the future office demand. In
addition, the plan should consider the degree to which medical office space is
appropriate.
Plan for New Industrial Development. The plan should identify ways of
accommodating from 100,000 to 400,000 square feet of industrial space. As with
the office demand, new industrial development may be accommodated in other
areas of the City, not just along the corridor.
Actively Market Atascadero to Office and Industrial Businesses. City staff
currently engages with potential businesses about the opportunities in
Atascadero. The City also has other partners than can help with business
attraction, including real estate brokers and dealers, the San Luis Obispo
Economic Vitality Corporation and the Hourglass Project.
Consider Adopting a Specific Plan. A specific plan can provide a level of
environmental clearance and certainty in the development process, both of which
can ease and quicken the development process. It is not uncommon, especially
with industrial businesses, that businesses looking to expand seek opportunities
that can become productive assets quickly.
El Camino Real Corridor – Identifying Opportunity Areas:
The El Camino Real corridor runs seven (7) m iles in length through Atascadero City
limits. In order to define a study area that could be analyzed and re-envisioned with the
grant funding amount provided by Caltrans, City staff needed to refine the focus area of
the plan to include the areas, which have the most potential for redevelopment and land
uses change. Considerations for identifying the focus areas included the follow factors:
o Existing parcels may be combined
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o Potential interface issues
o Availability of infrastructure
o Support for future commercial nodes
o Support for job creation uses
Based on these criteria, the following areas were excluded from The El Camino Plan
work scope study area:
- The areas south of Santa Rosa, which are predominantly developed with existing
multifamily residential and have very little room for infill development
- The downtown area is not included as it is undergoing its own separate focused
“Downtown Enhancement Plan” which includes traffic calming, placemaking,
parking and pedestrian safety.
- The corridor north of San Benito Road through Del Rio Road and northward Del
Rio Road are also excluded as the Del Rio Specific Plan identifies land use and
transportation concepts for this portion of the corridor. The Home Depot center
and Marriott at the far north end of El Camino Real also has its own existing
master plan of development for this commercial node
Once these areas were removed from the study area, The El Camino Plan became
focused on the portions of the corridor with the highest potential, which were identified
from the intersection of El Camino Real and Santa Rosa Road (southern point of study
area) to just north of San Benito Road at Mission Oaks and the Del Rio Specific Plan
area (northern point of study area), with the downtown excluded. The northern segment
is 1.2 miles long and extends from San Anselmo Road to approximately 200’ north of
the intersection of El Camino Real and Madera Place. The southern segment is 1.9
miles long, extending from San Gabriel Road to Highway 41. The City’s key commercial
nodes exist in locations where Highway 101 interchanges interact with El Camino Real
and at points in between these locations. The goal of The El Camino Plan is to
strengthen transportation connections that will foster commercial nodes and help
enhance commercial development opportunities, and this refined study area shows the
highest potential to do just that.
Once the initial public outreach was conducted last fall, City staff and PlaceWorks
began to identify opportunity sites within the study area. The approach wa s to identify
key areas along the corridor that have the potential to be reinvented as:
o Significant job centers, designed to attract companies looking to move or expand
from pricey, constrained market areas in the Central Coast. These new job
centers will also provide a desirable location for start-ups that are “incubating” in
Atascadero or elsewhere.
o Improved and more sustainable commercial nodes that better reflect the trends
in successful retail and service environments through redesign and
reprogramming as experiential places that aren’t available online. The more
intensified nodes are more walkable, contain indoor/outdoor environments, and
incorporate a broader mix of uses.
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o Mixed-use environments – office, research and development, clean-tech,
institutional uses, retail/service/entertainment uses, with the selective addition of
residential. Residential along the corridor increases housing opportunities for the
younger workforce that come with the new businesses. Residential along the
corridor also creates an expanded market of customers that will gravitate to the
downtown and these reinvented commercial nodes. Allowing residential will
improve financial feasibility of development projects and can be used as an
incentive for lot consolidation (am ong other things).
o Heavier industrial needs its place too.
Through this process, four (4) key opportunity sites were identified. These are areas
that are underutilized, include properties that can be combined to be redeveloped with
larger master plans and internal circulation, and include key nodes to intensify and
strengthen.
1. South of Del Rio - Includes 17.6 acres south of Mission Oaks and the Del Rio
Specific Plan area, between Highway 101 and El Camino Real. Opportunity to
combine sites which are currently underutilized, vacant land, and outdoor
storage uses. Can provide opportunity for manufacturing and tech jobs. Create
connectivity through sites. Improve appearance as seen from Highway 101.
Create campus design with eateries, coffee shops, green spac es.
2. Commercial node at San Anselmo - Includes Kmart shopping center and 777
Auction on west side of El Camino Real (about 11.3 acres), and old Ford
dealership and adjacent vacant parcels on east side of El Camino Real (about
10.2 acres.) Opportunity to intensify and improve the commercial node on west
side (Kmart) and develop job campus on east side El Camino Real.
3. Commercial node at Curbaril – Includes Smart & Final and Food 4 Less
shopping centers. Approximately 18.7 acres combined between the two existing
centers. Opportunity to infill and intensify additional commercial in parking lots,
create connectivity through sites.
4. Underutilized commercial on east side El Camino Real – Includes former
Spencer’s shopping center and surrounding underutilized commerci al on east
side El Camino Real. Includes about 27 acres from Palomar to Gusta Road,
including Arcade, Cascada, Solano, and La Linia. Currently used for primarily
outdoor storage and auto uses. Area has minimal site improvements on street
frontages and private parcels. Opportunity to consolidate ownership, add jobs /
campus, improve and intensify retail, and add mixed-use. Improve circulation &
connectivity with internal roads.
At this time, City staff and PlaceWorks are looking for input from the City Council
the Planning Commission, and the community regarding the selected opportunity
areas. In considering areas for focused study, it is important that the scope of work not
be expanded to the point that the study becomes watered down or is not able to be
completed within the budget of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant.
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Conceptual Land Use Sketches:
To help establish a conceptual vision for the key areas in the corridor, PlaceWorks
developed conceptual land use sketches for ea ch of the four opportunity sites. Th ese
sketches are intended to provide a rough concept of how the sites in each district could
be developed comprehensively with internal road circulation, commercial business
development, and mixed-use. Potential land uses and structure footprints have been
identified based on public input at the outreach event, public questionnaire input,
stakeholder interviews; a land uses inventory, and market conditions. These conceptual
plans are only intended to reflect the corridor plan findings with visual ideas about how
each of the areas could develop.
Site 1: North End Jobs Anchor
Across from the future Del Rio project, this opportunity area capitalizes on the small,
but important industrial/maker spaces along the south side of the corridor and expands
the potential for clean technology/R&D/creative office users to locate in Atascadero.
The opportunity area encompasses a group of existing and vacant properties and
envisions an infill development scenario where businesses are connected by an internal
roadway system that reduces curb-cuts along El Camino Real and optimizes new
development areas at the back of the properties. Connectivity between properties is
essential to enable future shared parking, easy access to commercial uses and outdoor
“green room” associated with employment and retail uses. An internal trail system links
to the Mission Oaks center and could be extended to industrial properties south of the
opportunity area. The draft conceptual land use plan provides for approximalty 220,000
square feet for buildings, with large 10,000 to 50,000 square foot spaces for tech and
research and devlopment type uses.
Site
1
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Site 2: Lifestyle Center with Tech Potential
Located at the San Anselmo Road off -ramp, this opportunity area encompasses
underutilized and vacant properties on both sides of El Camino Real. The existing
Kmart shopping center has the potential to be intensified overtime, with existing
buildings, circulation, parking, and outdoor areas upgraded to create an attractive place
where people want to shop, dine, meet up with friends, and walk to other services. The
remaining properties fronting El Camino Real have the capacity for medium and large-
size businesses, with support commercial or service uses. A small lot single-family
neighborhood could be located behind the office uses to provide a transition to the
existing rural residential. Residential may be considered an incentive to lot
consolidation.
Site 3: Re-Activated Commercial/Entertainment Hub
This opportunity area encompasses two large shopping centers, currently disconnected
by a 5 to 6-foot grade difference. Big box retail is struggling in every community. This
concept envisions that over time, one of the big box uses is reconfigured as an
indoor/outdoor environment and accommodates a range of tenants, including
entertainment uses. Overall circulation and connectivity are improved with an internal
roadway that connects the two parcels and creates new infill development opportunities
within the extensive parking areas. Additional retail, restaurants, and other supporting
uses now line El Camino Real and the internal roads, creating a more pedestrian-
Site
2
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oriented environment. This important commercial hub is now intensified a nd re-
activated to serve the south end of the community.
Site 4: Urban Village and South End Jobs Anchor
Across from the commercial hub is an opportunity for a south end jobs anchor that is
part of a mixed-use village containing commercial, office, residential, and career training
offered by Laurus College. This area is a combination of older retail, vacant parcels,
outdoor storage and low-intensity industrial uses. The concept envisions an internal
road system that reduces curb-cuts along El Camino Real, connects the parcels, and
maximizes development potential. Townhomes along the rear of these parcels would
provide additional workforce housing and can be the incentive for lot consolidation. The
uses are arranged to create synergy, provide for active open space areas, and to create
a unique live, work, learn environment.
Site
3
Site
4
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At this time, City staff and PlaceWorks are looking for input from the City Council
the Planning Commission, and the Community regarding the conceptual land use
sketches. Input should be provided regarding the types of uses envisioned, internal
circulation patterns, sites included in the land use concepts, or any other input to help
guide further development of the Corridor Plan.
Transportation:
PlaceWorks subconsultant, W -Trans, has recently completed traffic counts and an
existing traffic conditions summary that will be used to develop transportation related
improvement options along the corridor. A collision density map was developed, which
provides a clear picture of which intersections and stretches of road would greatly
benefit from safety related improvements. Intersection improvements and improved
pedestrian access at crossings are being considered to improve the safety at these key
nodes.
Collision Density Along El Camino Real
Through the public input questionnaire and the October outreach event, it has become clear
that both safety and aesthetics could be greatly improved along the corridor. The goal is to
make El Camino Real feel safer and more inviting and match the unique character that
people love about Atascadero. Trees, shade, safe crossings, adequate lighting, adequate
on-street parking, and safe biking and walking options have been identified as desired
improvements. City staff will work with the consultants in coming months to identify areas of
potential street modifications and improvement. It is critical that this visioning effort also
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takes into consideration the costs associated with these potential projects to ensure that
there are both near-term and long-term improvements that can be reasonably achieved
from a financial perspective if included in the Corridor Plan.
Next Steps:
At this point, City Staff is looking for input regarding selected opportunity sites, potent ial
land use and circulation ideas, and any other feedback on the project progress to date.
The Consultant will utilize input from this public meeting to continue to refine the land
use and circulation concepts and to create a draft vision “document” tha t will be brought
back to Council at a later date for review. The recently compiled data derived from the
Market Analysis will also be incorporated. Next, City Public Works and Planning staff
will work with the transportation consultant to further develop transportation related
potions of the plan, including potential multi-modal street sections, crossing
improvements, and improved circulation. Potential street designs will take into
consideration both safety and aesthetics along the corridor.
A second public outreach event will be held this summer to obtain public input on the
corridor land use and transportation concepts to be developed. The plan will be further
refined and will be brought back to Council in the fall of this year to be considered at a
public meeting. The El Camino Plan corridor study will need to be completed by the end
of 2019 in order to meet grant obligations.
The final work product that will result from this effort will be a vision “document” that will
include graphics and vision statements to help guide future policy development. The
Corridor Plan can be comprised of a single poster with a narrative polices or a
document with graphics and vision statements . Staff and Placeworks is still considering
the options for the final product, and the feedback from this meeting will help guide the
final product. The intent is to clearly illustrate the community’s long-range vision for the
underutilized portions of the corridor, which will guide both public and private
investment toward community improvements.
The Corridor Plan is intended to be one of many tools available to staff and
stakeholders to help implement and guide policy development of the General Plan.
Staff will continue to review specific development applications for consistency with
adopted regulatory documents, while using the corridor Plan as guidance for the vision
along the corridor. As a vision document, plan consistency is encouraged, rather than
required. Where the Plan shows potential use of privately owned property, this does not
reflect any City intent to restrict the use of any such property or to acquire any particular
piece of private property. The Plan also does not intend to convey any assurance that
any public or community use would ever be made of any private proper ty, but rather to
reflect an integrated concept for desirable uses and design scenarios.
Conclusion:
Initial public outreach has been conducted to identify the priorities of the community,
and identify areas for improvement along the corridor. The Market Analysis, land use
inventory, and stakeholder interviews have provided critical information, which has been
used to identity opportunity sites and land uses along the corridor. City s taff is seeking
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direction from Council regarding opportunity sites and potential land use concept
sketches in order to move forward with The El Camino Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Study has no direct costs beyond previously approved consultant and staff costs.
The project is on track to be within budget with the funding allott ed by Caltrans for the
Corridor Study and by Council for the Market Analysis.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. The El Camino Plan Informational Fact Sheet
2. October 6, 2018 Public Outreach Summary & Image Boards
3. Community Questionnaire Summary
4. Market Analysis Executive Summary
5. Collision Map & Existing Traffic Conditions Draft Report
6. Opportunity Sites Map
7. Conceptual Land Use Sketches for 4 Opportunity Areas
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THE
EL CAMINO PLAN
What is the El Camino Plan?
FACT
SHEET
The City of Atascadero is currently developing a corridor plan to help guide the future of development
along El Camino Real. The goal is to provide the City with a strategy and the tools to transform the existing
auto-oriented, former highway into a corridor that can accommodate new business, housing, pedestrians,
bicycles and cars. El Camino Real is the backbone of the City, and has a significant bearing on the overall
image, identity, and economic health of Atascadero. It is the main north-south thoroughfare; and the
primary access to services, the downtown core, and surrounding neighborhoods. Recent investment
within the downtown, upcoming development and new businesses along the corridor, and future street
improvements from the Downtown Traffic Calming Study provide a foundation that will incentivize
additional improvements and new development. During this planning study, land uses and circulation
conditions along the corridor will be analyzed and recommendations provided to enhance key commercial
areas and compliment adjacent uses. By improving transportation options and facilitating the growth of
businesses, the City will strengthen its economic base and re-energize Atascadero’s primary corridor. SAN ANSELMO RDTRAFFIC WAYCURBARIL AVESANTA R O SA RDS A N R AFAEL RDD E L R IO RD
City Hall
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LEGEND
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SAN GABRIEL
Map Figure: El Camino Plan Study Area
Where is the Study Area?
The El Camino Plan study area includes the area between Via Viento (just north of Del Rio Rd) to San
Rafael Rd. The study area is divided into a North Site and a South Site that will be the primary focus of the
El Camino Plan. Two “Areas of Influence” are also identified—the Del Rio Specific Plan and the Downtown
Revitalization Plan (including the Downtown Traffic Calming Study.) Each of these plans has already been
adopted by the City Council but will inform the recommendation for the El Camino Real Plan.
ITEM NUMBER: 1
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THE
EL CAMINO PLAN
Why is the City Undertaking this Study?
• The City has been awarded a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant to develop a compre-
hensive plan for the corridor, which will guide future investment, including private development and
public improvements.
• The region’s economy has changed over time – how people shop, where they want to work, and the
environment they want to live in. The City wants to examine existing market conditions and future
market trends to understand how to best position El Camino Real for future investment.
• The City wants El Camino Real to support a variety of businesses that serve residents, as well as attract
nearby communities and travelers from Highway 101. This study will evaluate ways to create a series of
places or destinations along the corridor that attract businesses and are well-designed for shoppers,
diners, and people in search of entertainment or a place to spend time with friends and family.
• There is a need to identify street improvements beyond the downtown area that will beautify the
streetscape, improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, and address congestion issues at the
interchanges. The El Camino Plan will analyze strategies for addressing congestion and creating a
multi-modal corridor.
What is the timing of The El Camino Plan?
• Fall 2018: Initial Public Outreach, Existing Conditions Analysis (Land Use, Transportation, and Market
Assessment)
• Winter 2018/2019: Concept Alternatives, Additional Public Outreach, and selection of Preferred Concept
• Spring 2019: Draft Corridor Plan, City Council and Planning Commission Study Session
• Spring/Summer 2019: Final Corridor Plan
How Can the Community Provide Input?
There will be multiple opportunities for the community to provide input—including online surveys, at
community events, and during public meetings. Check the City’s website for future announcements about
opportunities to get involved.
We need your input!
www.surveymonkey.com/r/elcaminoplan
The City wants to hear from you!
Would you like to provide input regarding the El
Camino Plan? Take a brief survey, just type in the
link below via your home computer or mobile
phone to get started!
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
1
The El Camino Plan
Public Outreach Event – Colony Days
October 6, 2018
Outreach Summary
This was the first of two public outreach events to obtain ideas and feedback from the public on
circulation, land use, architectural styles, and streetscape along the corridor. The outreach event was
conducted on the steps of City Hall during the City’s annual Colony Days, which is a major draw for the
community. For this event, we set up a variety of boards and activities to engage the public and get
meaningful feedback. Overall, people were very appreciative of the effort to solicit input and the
opportunity to learn about the project and were eager to provide their comments.
The following is a summary of input we received:
Activity #1: If I could change one thing along El Camino Real, what would it be?
Participants provided the following input:
- Less cars more people
- Pedestrian skywalk over ECR*
- Have a better downtown for dining!******
- More trees yeah!*
- More art galleries*
- Promenade type area around/at Entrada
- Roundabouts*
- Tax break to builders to incentivize new development downtown (limited term property tax)
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
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- Remove medical offices from around park
- If you build restaurants, put apartments above
- Panera / bagel place
- Swim center – build it*
- Second floor restaurants looking out over the park downtown
- Need town hall meeting – people to hear each other’s ideas
- Need cohesive designs in building styles – currently very mismatched*
- Big box stores in city to bring people to town, and then send people downtown
- Vacancy tax! Need to have this to encourage viable businesses
- Del Taco / Panda Express
- Traffic Way 5B off-ramp needs traffic control – along with Santa Lucia @ St. Williams Church
- Close Rosario on-ramp – yes!
- Zoning improvements for kind of businesses allowed – more cohesive
- 4 lanes all the way to Home Depot (except through the main part of town)
- Pull-in parking instead of parallel
- Only entertainment & dining around Sunken Gardens
- Architecture as districts along ECR
- Better design standards that architects can design to
*Indicates that this idea was liked by others
Activity #2: Architectural Style Options
Participants were asked to identify (with a dot) the architectural style examples they lived. In general,
there was strong interest in the architectural styles along the El Camino Real Corridor. Most people
responded positively to keeping the Colony style within downtown – either as a single style or with
Spanish. Some people said that they would like to see only Colony style buildings throughout the whole
corridor and some said they would just like to see it integrated in along with other styles. There were
several comments from people who said they did not want Atascadero to look like San Luis Obispo and
want to see the City to keep its unique identity. Others referred to the historic architecture as
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
3
“authentic”.
Other General Comments re Architectural Styles:
- Manage the color schemes being used – strive for more neutral
- Need updated and “firm” design guidelines for the selected styles
- Don’t want “rubber stamped” buildings – need better design standards
- Architectural themes could be focused at key nodes as character defining elements
- Modern architecture is not right for the downtown
The following number of “likes” were placed on each architectural style option:
1. Atascadero Colony: 183
2. Mission – Spanish Colonial Revival: 86
3. Craftsman – California Bungalow: 28
4. Rustic Modern: 49
5. Modern: 23
6. Neoclassical: 10
Activity #3: El Camino Real Improvement Ideas
Participants were asked to review several corridor improvement ideas and identify which ideas they
liked best. Each participant was given a limited number of dots for each of the street elements (i.e.,
bicycle zone, median, street palette), so they had to prioritize their choices.
General Comments:
- A number of people commented that the removal on-street parking in the downtown area
would be problematic, but they thought it was fine for the outlying areas as the photo indicated
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
4
that use was very light. There was also support for the medians to shorten pedestrian crossing
distance.
- There was strong support for in-pavement crosswalk lights. People were familiar with the
existing one near the Sunken Gardens and believe it is effective.
- There was strong support for trees between the sidewalk and street, citing the need for shade in
the hot weather.
- People liked the idea of buffered bike lanes so bicyclists could have additional protection, but
some expressed concern about potentially losing capacity to accommodate them.
- Most people were generally very enthusiastic about enhancing conditions for bicyclists and
pedestrians and indicated that it is very much needed. A few commented that everything is fine
the way it is, and they expressed concern about the money it would cost to implement the
alternative designs that were presented.
- People were happy to hear about additional projects that are under way along SR 41 and
Atascadero Avenue (if the funding comes through).
The following number of “likes” were placed on each of the improvement options:
Bicycle Zone
- Current (on-street parking w/ bike lane): 0
- Option 1 (on-street parking w/ painted bike lane): 22
- Option 2 (bike lane w/ buffer and no on-street parking): 12
Median
- Current (center turn lane, no median): 0
- Option 1 (planted media islands with staggered turn lanes): 23
Pedestrian Zone
- Current (minimal street tree, landscape): 1
- Option 1 (street trees behind sidewalk): 3
- Option 2 (street trees w/ planters along sidewalk): 32
Crossing
- Current (crosswalk w/ traffic signals): 0
- Option 1 (lighted crosswalk): 24
- Option 2 (crosswalk w/ pedestrian area in median): 12
Street Tree Palette
- Bay Laurel: 2
- London Plane Tree: 2
- Golden Rain Tree: 4
- Ornamental Pear: 1
- Crape Myrtle: 7
- Western Redbud: 9
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
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Activity #4 Tell Us Your Likes and Dislikes
Participants were asked to provide general comments about places, uses, activities, circulation, and
other things they liked or didn’t like along the corridor. The input reached beyond the corridor. The
following is a summary of the input received:
Comments from Aerial (recorded left to right by approximate location):
Del Rio & El Camino Real
- Want a small quality grocery store @ Del Rio
- Area should be a sports complex – soccer/baseball
- How many car washes do we need along ECR - limit
San Benito & El Camino Real
- More roundabouts – helps traffic flow
El Camino Real between San Benito and San Anselmo
- Want better crosswalks
San Anselmo & El Camino Real
- Need sit down restaurants
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
6
- Missing a park
El Camino Real between San Jacinto and Rosario
- Less fast food
- Fix residential roads
Portola between Ardilla and Santa Lucia
- Want bike lanes on Portola
Traffic Way & El Camino Real
- Centralize downtown – make it walkable, extend to fire station & printer; strengthen tunnel to
high school
- Want mixed use w/ residential above
- Walking downtown – make it possible
- Make this intersection better
- Want downtown more like Paseo Robles
- Don’t divide ECR downtown – traffic flow is fine now
Hwy 41 & Sombrilla
- Main bus stop for commuters
- Want bike lockers @ bus stop
San Marcos between High School and Portola
- Need stop signs
Stadium Park area
- The Salinas is an asset – it should be a river walk or prime housing
El Camino Real between Hwy 41 and Curbaril
- Want high paying jobs
Curbaril & El Camino Real
- Divider helps @ Curbaril
Curbaril between Atascadero and Hwy 101
- Want better pedestrian access on Curbaril
Arcade north of El Camino Real
- Need Speed bumps! They keep killing pedestrians because they are driving too fast
La Lina & El Camino Real
- Want uses grouped
Santa Rosa Elementary School
- Need more crosswalks by Santa Rosa School to improve walkability
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THE EL CAMINO REAL WORKSHOP (2018, Oct 06)
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El Bordo north of El Camino Real
- Walking path to park
General Comments Noted During Discussions:
- Concern about new businesses hurting existing businesses
- Concern about too much street lighting (preserve night sky)
- Focus on core
- City tree ordinance confusing – want fuel modification
- Many people wanted to see more pedestrian oriented areas and one person suggested closing
Estrada to vehicles and making it all pedestrian.
- The issue of the homeless population was brought up by several people at the workshop. They
had concerns regarding providing homeless services (ECHO and the temporary warming shelter)
near the downtown. Also, the close proximity of the methadone clinic on Hwy 41 to the
downtown was mentioned.
- Almost everyone wanted to see an increase in restaurants, shopping and services in the
city. They want more places to go and would like to see new businesses to meet the demands.
- Need a Town Hall style meeting for this project
- The final plan must have a Vision
- Focus new development at commercial nodes
- Many complaints that the commercial along ECR is “too strung out”
- Need family-oriented uses/shopping
- Focus uses that are desired (retail) at key nodes and don’t allow other uses in – find better
locations for them
- Narrow entire corridor to 1 lane in each direction
- Lots of on-ramp issues
- Angled parking is not good for people because you must back out into traffic
- Have medical offices move to another location – keep them away from the park
- Put in traffic control at cross-walk for High School – specially to control before & after school
traffic
- Close 101 ramp at ECR by the police station – crosswalk and ramp create a dangerous condition
- Close Entrada – should be pedestrian only
- Want mixed use along the corridor
- Want pedestrian only areas
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The Original Plan: 1913 Civic Center
CONSIDERING OUR PAST TO PLAN OUR FUTURE
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04
Key Takeaway:There is near-term demand for new retail development in Atascadero.
Key Takeaway: Atascadero needs to attract more employment opportunities to improve the
community quality of life and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Takeaway:Retail spending leaked to other jurisdictions has a scal impact; depressed retail
sales tax revenue reduces the city’s ability to improve and expand public facilities and services.
Key Takeaway: Both industrial rms and business and professional services rms represent
opportunities for economic development and new jobs in Atascadero.
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3
Community Questionnaire Results: El Camino Real Corridor
Survey participants had the opportunity to submit comments regarding the El Camino Real corridor. The
following graphs represent the outcomes of the survey for the focus area, along with open-ended
responses regarding what the community likes best about the corridor, and what could be improved.
Please note comments are provided unedited as submitted by each respondent and may contain
misspellings, grammatical errors, etc.
298 survey responses
Online - 231 responses, 78%
Written forms (at Colony Days or at City hall) - 67 responses, 22%
1. Do you live or work in Atascadero?
# of responses % of total
Live 173 58%
Work 16 5%
Both 98 33%
Visitor 11 4%
58%
5%
33%
4%
Do you live or work in Atascadero?
Live Work
Both Visitor
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2. How often do you shop or dine along the El Camino Real corridor?
Shopping and dining include retail and wholesale purchases, beverages, and food purchases.
Frequency
# of responses % of total
Everyday
29 10%
Several times each week
130 44%
Around once a week
61 20%
Few times a month
40 13%
Around once a month
18 6%
Every once and a while (less
than once a month) 20 7%
10%
44%
20%
13%
6%7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Every day Several times
each week
Around once a
week
A few times a
month
Around once a
month
Every once and
a while (less
than once a
month)
How often do you shop or dine along the El Camino Real corridor?
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3. How often do you use other services / businesses along the El Camino Real corridor?
Includes medical, dental, veterinary, and professional services (tax, law, insurance, etc.).
Frequency # of responses % of total
Every day 25 8%
Several times each week 58 20%
Around once a week 27 9%
A few times a month 56 19%
Around once a month 36 12%
Every once and a while
(less than once a month) 95 32%
8%
20%
9%
19%
12%
32%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Every day Several times
each week
Around once a
week
A few times a
month
Around once a
month
Every once and
a while (less
than once a
month)
How often do you use other services / businesses along the El Camino Real
corridor?
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4. What types of services do you regularly travel outside of Atascadero for?
# of responses % of total
Entertainment (movies, etc.) 102 34%
Dining 185 62%
Groceries 77 26%
Retail 208 70%
Recreation 160 54%
School 22 7%
Professional Services 147 49%
Other (please specify) 38 13%
* 13% of respondents stated “other” with the following specific answers:
Work
Use online shopping in order to stay in Atascadero
All & none of the above. Trick question!
I don't mind driving 15 minutes for work or play. Bedroom community.
Clothing, doctors, SSA, DMV
34%
62%
26%
70%
54%
7%
49%
13%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Entertainment (movies, etc.)
Dining
Groceries
Retail
Recreation
School
Professional Services
Other (please specify)
What types of services do you regularly travel outside of
Atascadero for?
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We go to Trader Joe's, Lassen's, California Fresh; we need a nice or higher end grocery
store. An outdoor store would be good. More mid-range restaurants.
Doctor visits
Costco, Walmart, oncologist
Church
Wineries
Live music
Salon services: hair, massage
Drive in, Costco
Gym
Trader Joe’s, live music.
Work
Car, social, bars
Art galleries
Gym
Costco
Most all / A-Town has no "hub"
Family
Pet Supplies
Upscale dining. No more fast food.
I go to Costco about once a month. All other business is done in town.
Big box stores like Target and Walmart
Events in SLO, church
Work
Fitness options like yoga/barre studios. Higher end salon options.
Don’t really travel out of town much
Work related services
I try very hard to stay in this community but serious shopping takes me elsewhere.
City events
Not much...
Clothing
Costco
Great downtowns
Doctor's office
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5. What is missing or not enough of along the El Camino Real corridor?
# of responses % of total
Sit-down dining 174 58%
Casual dining 115 39%
Entertainment 151 51%
Retail (clothing, household goods, sporting goods, etc.) 190 64%
Grocery/Pharmacy 42 14%
Other (please specify) 84 28%
* 28% of respondents stated “other” with the following specific answers:
Art galleries, boutiques, e.g. browsing on foot
Marijuana dispensary
Areas with a sense of place or areas that offer nice ambiance
Walmart
Dancing, Latin Music, Retail shops, need to make Atascadero beautiful with good
appearance, we have a problem with homelessness they should be away from this area or
place their shelter away from High Schools.
Recycling center, discount shops, pet supplies
A decent place to eat. We mostly have fast food.
Many businesses are date and need a refresh.
I moved to Atascadero from SLO for a smaller town
Mixed use
58%
39%
51%
64%
14%
28%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%
Sit-down dining
Casual dining
Entertainment
Retail (clothing, household goods, sporting
goods, etc.)
Grocery/Pharmacy
Other (please specify)
Whats missing or not enough of along the El Camino Real
corridor?
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Entertainment without alcohol
Big box stores
Pet Store, large retail store
More variety in grocery like a Trader Joe’s or Sprouts. We don’t even have something as
simple as a Jamba Juice which started in SLO County.
Stuff for kids and teens
Housing
It's missing a sense of place, it's too car-centric. All it does is facilitate people passing
through in their cars. People do not park their cars and walk, and the infrastructure is
anti-pedestrian, anti-bike. There's no way to get people to El Camino other than by car.
Chinese Fast Food
Retail stores with quality goods.
There seems to be quite a few empty business buildings. So more businesses to fill those.
Big box stores
Not enough foot traffic; requires driving
Wine tasting
Maybe specialty grocery stores like butcher, ethnic, natural/alternative choices, vegan
Bars and breweries
Ethnic restaurants - particularly Indian food
Connectivity - pedestrian walkway off ECR
Parking
Clothing stores specifically.
Affordable retail. Don't care about mom and pops.
This town use to have everything to sustain living but not very family (kids) orientated.
For years young people need two jobs or work out of the area to live here.
Healthy alternatives like yoga/ barre/ studio fitness options, healthy eats and organic
grocery. Places to bike to with my kids
Food, food, food!! :-) A place to purchase clothes, besides Kmart would be amazing also..
Retail stores
Indoor/outdoor dining that's not burgers, mexican or other fast foo
Live music venues; I travel to SLO for concerts
Professional services/offices and quiet, pleasant places to gather, dine, socialize.
Children activities
Fine dining
Professional services
Atmosphere
Bike safety
Nothing
NOTHING
Post Office
A Marshall’s store, bowling alley, natural / environmentally friendly full service
supermarket, vegetarian / organic focused dining option
Interesting shops. Local Love was a great one we lost.
We need more for the kids; wouldn't it be something if Atascadero had a skate rink!
A coffee shop (Starbucks or Bru) would be nice @ El Camino / Santa Barbara
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18%
38%
44%
Do you ever walk or bike along
the corridor?
Yes, often Yes, Rarely No
Jobs
Concerts at Sunken Gardens with vendors
Indoor recreational opportunities (bowling, roller or ice skating
Upscale business. Many areas currently look run-down.
Things to do in the evening
Target!!!!
Love music/outside seating for cafes
Convenient parking and traffic flow
Dog friendly dining
Entertainment/activities for kids
People friendly corridor
After school activities
Panera/Chipotle type "restaurants"
Healthy dining
Nothing is missing. Keep small town atmosphere.
Things for kids to do
Kid focused play and entertainment
Kids places
Trader Joe’s. Fun places for families to visit. Stuff for kids.
Breweries
Music venue
Pool, water features
We need more than one decent grocery store! Also, there is a lack of family friendly
entertainment & dining options.
Need more family stuff
Professional/Retail/Residential Mixed Use (Between 41 and Rosario)
On the north end of town
Restaurants that other cities DON’T have
Breakfast
Emphasis on clothing and household goods
It is a "strip city" no center
Emphasis on clothing
Emphasis on clothing and household goods
Emphasis on the clothing and household goods
Doctors
High quality stores
6. Do you ever walk or bike along the corridor?
# of responses % of total
Yes, often 53 18%
Yes, Rarely 113 38%
No 132 44%
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7. Why don't you walk or bike along the corridor?
# of responses % of total
Lack of shade along the sidewalk 41 14%
Buildings are setback too far from the sidewalk 11 4%
The business I visit are too spread out along the corridor 100 34%
Don't feel safe using the bike lanes or walking 52 17%
Don't typically walk or bike places 56 19%
Other (please specify) 41 14%
* 14% of respondents stated “other” with the following specific answers:
It’s either too hot or too cold
Unattractive and no specific place that attracts me or my family for walking or biking.
No lighting, don’t feel safe walking due to homeless around
Meth heads, police harassing good people due to the fear of confronting the bad ones, needles
and broken glass, homeless/panhandlers harassing people.
Rarely -- not very walkable. Distance, any sidewalk not set up for making the entire length
walkable.
Ridiculous amount of homeless people around
Nothing interesting going on there
There are no pedestrian or biking connections to the Corridor.
Health reasons limit bike riding
The only pedestrians I see are homeless Street people
14%
4%
34%
17%
19%
14%
0%10%20%30%40%
Lack of shade along the sidewalk
Buildings are setback too far from the sidewalk
The business I visit are too spread out along the
corridor
Don't feel safe using the bike lanes or walking
Don't typically walk or bike places
Other (please specify)
Why don't you walk or bike along the corridor?
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Other than the downtown square area (in front of City Hall), not enough pleasant pedestrian
pathways to enjoy walking or biking.
Health reasons
It is not very pretty or enjoyable. Not enough green space and nothing to ride to until you are
right downtown.
Atascadero is exceptionally loud & unpleasant due to the high volume of vehicles with
obnoxious tailpipe noise & emissions.
Too much car traffic
Drive-in, get what I came for and go home. There is no reason to hang out.
Not enough interesting shops, not pretty enough. We need landscaping.
We walk business within a perimeter, but don't feel safe biking
I am disabled and drive most places
Not enough businesses to walk to
Too many homeless / druggies walking or hanging around also
El Camino is a busy street
I live on the very south end of town, so I cannot walk from my house to downtown, I have to
drive.
We use the gym here but go hiking along the coast several times a week.
Not an "inviting" environment for walking or biking. We would LOVE to do so if there were
wider/buffered/separated bike lanes, closer attractions to walk/bike to, more of a sense of
place, more connectivity from one side to the other.
The growth in homeless population
Corridor is too far from my home. Biking/walking is dangerous on Santa Lucia.
With family or by myself
Between 41 and Rosario
Need safer places to cross the street with good lighting.
DO NOT bike. We don’t feel safe biking.
Live out of town
It’s hard to bike to El Camino, let alone along El Camino.
Don’t live here. Work at Atascadero Lake.
Walk occasionally but no biking. Too unsafe.
Don’t live where I can walk downtown
We regularly walk downtown.
Lack of sidewalks
Getting "old"
Too loud. Cars go too fast in areas - 40-45.
Not very walkable. Distances and sidewalks are not set up for making the entire length walkable.
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8. What are the top improvements you would like to see along the El Camino Real corridor?
Please rank the items below based on their level of importance to you (1 Highest, 8 Lowest)
(online survey ranking only, with 231 responses)
Ranking: 1
highest
priority
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Lowest
priority
Employment Opportunities
15% 14% 12% 15% 12% 13% 12% 7%
Housing Options
6% 10% 8% 8% 13% 9% 19% 26%
Street Trees and Landscaping
5% 14% 21% 20% 14% 12% 10% 3%
More Retail, Restaurant, and
Entertainment Uses 45% 15% 13% 8% 8% 4% 2% 5%
Private Property Building and
Landscape Maintenance 2% 8% 11% 13% 18% 18% 13% 16%
Fix Traffic Congestion at
Freeway Interchanges 13% 12% 13% 10% 13% 15% 11% 11%
Improved Pedestrian Access /
Crossings 8% 15% 14% 17% 13% 16% 15% 2%
Improved Bike Facilities
6% 11% 8% 9% 8% 12% 17% 29%
45% of respondents identified more retail, restaurant, and entertainment uses as their
number one priority, and it made the top 3 priorities for 73% of respondents
41% identified employment opportunities as one of their top 3 priorities
40% identified street trees and landscaping as one of their top 3 priorities
Fixing traffic congestion at freeway interchanges and improved pedestrian access / crossings
were identified as mid-level priorities
Private property building and landscape maintenance was ranked as a mid-to-low priority by
many, with 47% including it in their bottom 3 priorities
26% of respondents identified housing options as their lowest priority, with 54% categorizing
housing in their bottom 3 priorities
29% of respondents identified improved bike facilities as their lowest priority, and 58%
identified it in their bottom 3 priorities
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9. What do you like most about Atascadero?
Friendly atmosphere
The weather, proximity to the ocean, E.G. Lewis history, and the absence of cookie cutter
subdivisions
The trees.
Small-town character, family-friendly environment, great location for access to all of the Central
Coast, feels safe, good schools, and more distinct seasons.
That it is improving.
Easy commuting thru town via El Camino and the freeway
Great people and wonderful community setting
Small town, easy to find parking, not a lot of traffic
Mountains, Atascadero Lake, events like Tamale Festival and Christmas events.
Leaving it.
Open space. Not much traffic. Quiet.
Born & raised here
The new downtown area centered around Streetside and Tent City
We bought a house in Atascadero and will be retiring there in 2021. We visit multiple times a
year. We love the clean air and downtown. We love how the City utilizes the park in front of City
Hall. We love the Carlton Hotel and all the shops around it. We always feel welcome by all who
we meet. One reason why we bought there was because it is so close to Morro, Cambria, Paso
and San Luis. We are from Visalia and I like the weather as well. It is close to the same
temperatures, but I really like how the evenings get cool.
Good people, peaceful town
Small town, history, character, potential
Small quiet community
Small town community
It's location...because...weather...flora...fauna. The people, too.
Cheaper property than in south county
Small town feel
Friendly people. Trees. Neighborhoods with larger lots. Small businesses. Location in the County.
Rural atmosphere, weather.
Proximity to Morro Bay, SLO and Paso.
Access to the central coast (very central), the weather, safe and quiet
Atascadero isn't like the other surrounding cities. The real home-town atmosphere associated
with our quiet streets and friendly residents.
Small town feel
Easy access to highway
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That it is a small bedroom community. Many moved here from within the ...... county for a small
Town. Please don't ruin Our town, Most people on this planet commute to work 15-20 min.
or much more.... A Walmart, really? Our overpasses are crowded enough...... Please do not
move or desire a small town just to wreck it forever with your need for the big city.... RELAX or
go back to L.A.......Thanks
Small town
Quality of life, safe & no traffic
Small town atmosphere.
Less urban than where I used to live
The small town feel.
A very family friendly community. Lots of history and a small town feel. Lots of activities.
The historic City Hall and park.
El Camino Real
Country atmosphere
I like the feeling of community & togetherness in our small town. However, I wish we had more
shopping & different varieties of restaurants/activities offered.
Perfect combination of natural beauty, small town spirit, and less congestion than neighboring
cities.
Community involvement, events and the pride of the residents
The wide open space, the peace and quiet, and how well the community comes together for fun
activities during the summer like Tuesday’s in the Park, Colony Days, etc. There is a better sense
of community in Atascadero than the other cities in the County and now people here really want
to see measured improvements to our City.
The small town feel, I know a lot of the people that live here, and the two lanes for each
direction that we have on El Camino Real
No tourists, urban and country, laid back atmosphere, relaxing
Warm evenings in the summer and the wide spread of large residential lots.
Close to work
Tight knit community
Quiet and not crowded
The community.
Low residential population
That there aren’t too many people living here and there aren’t traffic issues (like there are in
Paso)
The area is rural, particularly where I live on Del Rio Rd. Housing isn't stacked on top of one
another. At the same time, we do need more affordable housing. When i say that I’m not
referring to the builder incentives that include breaks for lower priced new housing in a
development where the cost of a new home is a lower percentage of the majority of those being
built. I'm referring to Section 8 housing, townhomes, condos, and possibly apartments that may
be purchased by families. Fortunately, there is ECHO here that can aid people in getting back on
their feet.
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Small town feel
Undecided
Small town atmosphere, with everything one needs a few minutes drive into town, no college
students
Small-town feel, close community, and all the trees!
I like the small town feel. I enjoy that I grew up in Atascadero and still feel safe.
Small town atmosphere
Its small size, the community, the weather.
It has everything I need for 80% of my life or more! Grocery stores, my doctor, my dentist, good
places to eat/drink, trails for running and hiking, parks to hang out with friends or go to events,
thrift stores to buy clothes and household items or stores to buy them new if I have to :) I used
to work here but not now. Would love to again.
The people and scenery of the surrounding area
Small, chill, slower town with lots of potential.
Small town
The Oak woodlands
The trees
Small town feel. Good restaurants, best theater, friendly people. Beautiful parks.
Small town feel, and community events
Family oriented recreation, diversity of income, native trees, comfortable housing areas, "low
brow" feel.
Small town, no traffic, home sweet home for 35+ years
Small town feel and awesome community events
Quarterly "Wine Walks" hosted by the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce. This is a great social
event that introduces residents to the downtown shopping experience. We just need more
commercialization that lasts!
The Zoo; Atascadero Greyhound Foundation; Atascadero Loaves & Fishes; and local non-profits -
we are a very generous community.
Relaxed atmosphere
Trees
Rural properties
Quiet town
friendly atmosphere
Small town feel, reasonable prices, close to other cities
Trees, Weather, pace, centrally located in the county, great cycling roads
I grew up in Atascadero so it is still home for me.
Community, small town feel
Everything except poor sidewalks and thus poor accessibility
You can drink in public
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Small town with easy access to groceries, restaurants, and quick drive to Paso or SLO. Fun
entertainment at the park. Heilmann Dog Park is the best!
Proximity to SLO and Paso Robles
Quite
Small town feel
Community events
The weather and central location in the county. I also like it’s mostly friendly, low key vibe.
Quiet hometown feel
Small town atmosphere
The people
the space, the peace, the old town feel
The people, community activities
The trees, the weather, the lake park, sunken gardens and the farmer's market.
Country living
for the downtown and ECR the ease of access that it provides, with all of the freeway off-ramps
available.
I grew up here. Many friends and family continue to live in Atascadero. The location is great.
Small town feel.
Bedroom community. As a native SLO it has lost its charm of Mom & Pop stores, stores that see
the residents not the students, The JEWELS (Park and Zoo, Sunken Garden/City Hall).
Small town atmosphere
The community is full of nice people and beautiful views.
The Sunken garden and Rotunda building
I do not like Atascadero.
Small town atmosphere and weather
Not a lot of tract homes, weather, low crime rate.
People look out for each other
Small town feel with access to major freeways easily
Rural character
Small town feel.
The “small town” community connection from business (Chamber), school district & community
as a whole. Love all the wonderful events that happen in Atascadero. This truly is a community
of people helping others.
The location and the weather. The city leaves a lot to be desired. So many mistakes were made
in the past that hinders Atascadero from ever getting to its full potential.
Small town atmosphere
The wooded areas on the west side of town and how peaceful it is there.
Small town feel.
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Overall, I like the slower pace of things.
The small town feel.
Small town
It’s a small town or was at one time
It is a quaint town filled with history
Small town atmosphere
It’s home
A Community that focuses on Families and Family affordability...
I like that it’s still a small town. Not too busy but has most everything I need.
Small town community
bedroom community, small, quiet
Rural nature, cost of living, mid distance in the north county to MB, PR and SLO.
Ability to quickly get around town
I like that El Camino Real has 4 lanes.
Rural feel, friendly people, Atascadero Lake Park
Larger home lot size
Rural feeling, weather, close to the beach, family community
Small town feel
That it is a small community. Love the shops/ restaurants down town.
Small town vibes and great community.
It is a great little "town." Not a "city" or "metropolitan area." Great place to live. Good schools.
Great community atmosphere.
It’s not pretentious, the people show hospitality and are down to earth, it’s a humble
community
Cool evenings, relatively safe (get rid of all the homeless please), when you go places you see
people you know, the town supports the schools, no traffic
The landscape and the community
Weather
Small, light traffic
Rural areas
The views, the land.
Small Town
Family-oriented community with open space.
Less crowded and less expensive than our neighbors San Luis Obispo.
Trails, parks, affordability, opportunity, proximity to mountains, hills, and the oceans, friendly
people, and no traffic.
Its size. Not too big or overrun.
Small town feel.
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The weather, trees, land and friendliness.
The small town atmosphere
It’s funky
In SLO county
Rural atmosphere, small town feeling, lots of trees, good amount of services available without
having to go to San Luis Obispo or Paso Robles.
The rural environment
The small town feel
The fact that it's growing (likely due to surrounding areas like SLO being too expensive for most
families) yet has good schools and there are housing options for families.
Trees, hills, small town vibe
Calm and quiet, rural community.
That it's a small community
It has remained a city with a hometown feel, unlike our neighbors to the north and south that
have traffic issues and tourist prices.
Small town, you know many
Climate, trees, views
Size and rural areas
Rural living
Small town feel. Good selection of small, independent businesses.
Small town feel that still provides shopping, dining, services, and great schools.
Family Community
All the open spaces
Community events
The weather, proximity to SLO & Paso
Weather, real estate prices, community
Downtown area, lake, community events at sunken gardens, etc.
More Affordable, community feel, great neighborhood
Rural feel around neighborhoods
The affordable housing relative to SLO
Small town environment and country life.
Proximity to the ocean, the winter weather, schools, relative affordability.
Small town feel where you know your neighbors.
I love that the downtown area is growing! It is nice to see restaurants, breweries, family friendly
businesses and places to shop. I love Wine & Art nights, Music in the Park and other events put
on throughout the year.
Open container laws
Small town feel
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Small town feel.
The generally friendly nature of people and interactions.
Small town, oak trees & other nature, good restaurants/bars/breweries.
Small town feel
The friendly hometown atmosphere.
More affordable homes on larger lots
The small town vibe.
The community. We love the strong sense of community in Atascadero. Our neighborhood is
friendly, folks stop and chat. We love the family friendly community events--concerts at the
lake, events in Sunken Garden.
Small town atmosphere, family friendly, potential for increased opportunities to shop and dine
in town.
Close to SLO. Less expensive. Smaller town.
Far away from crowded SLO
The small town feel.
For the most part, the weather. Parks are decent. Walking paths. Nature. Not over populated
and not a lot of traffic.
Mostly everything except the people.
Close to San Luis Obispo and my job in Tempelton. Low traffic
The People & the small town feel.
Family friendly, great parks, decent hiking/outdoor opportunities, easy access to neighboring
communities
Hometown feel
The trees, the warm summer nights, the nature trails.
Location
Trees, parks, family activities
Lake, Library, Galaxy, Awakening Ways Spiritual Community some restaurants.
Small town, good community, beautiful place to live.
Food
It’s small town vibe, the people
The people and community activities. My children are 4th generation here.
Location
It's my hometown so I have a lot of nostalgic feelings walking around downtown. I like that small
town feeling you get here, though it has grown I think that feeling is still there, it's just nicer!
Also, the high quality city improvements that I've seen (Sunken Gardens walkways, fixed city
hall, the walking bridge, the middle school, etc).
Affordable ,small town, family friendly events
Location
Quiet city, up and coming
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Trees
People. Genuine and welcoming, let everyone live how they see fit.
Rural vibes
Small
Small town feel
Everything
Beautiful countryside
Small town feel
Community events
It's small town feel, not super crowded like SLO
Rural yet community based
Trees, Housing Space, Community
small town - no traffic (except when school lets out)
It's not L.A.!!
The people are great.
The natural country feel, yet has or is close to everything!
The lake park
Community events
Sense of community. Small town feel. Community pride.
Small Town
Fall & Spring, Farmers Market
Not too flashy or Disney-fied not pretentious
Hometown friendly environment
Small town feel and beautiful rural scenery
Walking the lake
Senior Center Community Center Galaxy Theatre
Small town, not much traffic, lots of off ramps off 101, beautiful trees, variety of large and small
lot homes, beautiful city hall, weather, great people
Quiet town - the trees - the Lake!
Small town, atmosphere, low traffic
Access to coast
The "Town" Feeling The Community functions Quality of Life
Not a large population of people
Quiet, uncrowded, lots of trees, older neighborhoods, friendly people for the most part
Small town feel
Weather, closeness to beaches, trees, hiking trails, sunken gardens
Small community, walk downtown
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From the bay area, I like the slower pace, a fewer people. The old home town of the 40's feel.
It’s lowkey with a lot of history
Small town feel - quiet
Small Community
Sunken Gardens / City Hall Traffic way has improved.
All
Small town, 1 main street
Small town feel, Lake Park, Stadium Park, Sunken Gardens, quiet family atmosphere
Hikes nearby, ocean close, opportunity, and affordability.
Downtown growing nicely! Love Sunken Gardens, City Hall, Zoo, Hiking (stadium, pine mt., 3
bridges, want more!), Nice People, Art Community
Small town but growing. Friendly folks, accessible government.
Community
Small town feel
People, Weather
Less Traffic
Small town, everything is easy to access on one street!
How people are kind
Community Events. Historic architecture.
Small town / history / character / potential
10. Are there any other comments, thoughts, or suggestions you would like to share about El Camino
Real in Atascadero?
I am glad the staff and council took some steps to move the doctor/dental offices out of the
area around the Sunken Gardens. These uses could easily be accommodated along 41 to the
west leaving the square around the Gardens for dining, entertainment and galleries. Also, there
need to be electric car charging stations in the area, i.e. at least walking distance of the
"downtown." Overall, we should strive to diminish the impact of the automobile. Focus the
"downtown area" of El Camino (smaller than the study area). The city needs to identify and
areas for large employment developments outside of the downtown, and probably reduce or at
least avoid multi-family developments in the downtown area unless included in second and
third story developments with retail on the first floor. Emphasize and pay tribute to the unique
E.G. Lewis history (as well as its proximity to the ocean- better than Paso Robles - and wineries -
almost equal to Paso Robles)
It's so long and spread out that it lacks a sense of place or consistency. It's also unattractive. It
feels like one long strip mall. I understand not competing with downtown, but something like
The Village at Meridian in Meridian, Idaho, would be nice. Consistent street scaping and
landscaping would improve things. But also it would be nice to bring major employers that
provide good-paying jobs to El Camino, like a business park where businesses could build their
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headquarters. Bring in a higher educational institute (more like San Joaquin Valley College or
Cuesta College or Cal Poly extensions).
I do not agree that reducing that amount of lanes will solve any problems. Perhaps more speed
bumps or pedestrian bridges would be a better alternative to backing up traffic even more than
it is now. It takes me 15 minutes to get my son to school and even longer to get home and it
doesn't matter if I take the freeway or El Camino because we live off Traffic Way.
It’s not just about down town! Making ECR two lanes will be a nightmare.
Safe pedestrian crossings, plant more trees next to Freeway to have more clean air Oxygen
Your plan is terrible, it will kill the town just look at similar projects that happened in the cities
north along the ECR/101/99.
If ECR is reduced to one lane I most likely will avoid the area all together. Medical and dental
and urgent care are essential to downtown. Combo housing above retail may work. Public
showers/restrooms for homeless and visitors. RV park close to center of town.
It’s too congested. Especially by sunken gardens during after school pick up
Clear out all the drug addicts in the Sunken Gardens
Other issues that I see are quite a few homeless folks that hang out along El Camino Real. I know
this is an issue in many areas in the state. Just more of a comment.
We need more restaurants at the North end of town, both fast food and sit down. We need
more quality retail. Except for Home Depot, there is no reason to get off the highway and drive
into town to shop. Even Staples has only a fraction of the inventory of the Paso store. I work in
town, but do nearly all my shopping in Paso because Atascadero doesn't have what I want. The
Sunken Gardens are lovely, but there are no public restrooms. Makes it a poor place to bring
my family for a picnic. El Camino is a terrible road to drive. The speed limit changes several
times, the lanes are tight in some areas, and many businesses have poor parking. There's a BBQ
place that I pass sometimes that smells great, but darned if I know where to park to try it out.
90% of the time I'll jump on 101 rather than deal with the aggravation of El Camino, which
further limits the odds I'll stop and shop here. In summation, I'd like to see smoother traffic
flow, more retail that isn't a dollar store, better distribution of restaurants, and permanent
restrooms at the Sunken Gardens.
Take a look at Paso. They have shopping, dining, entertainment all within walking distance
downtown. We are restricted to one long street. We cannot go around the block. That makes
too spread out to walk anywhere. Car lots and empty buildings everywhere. High rents and
regulations make it too hard for any new businesses success.
Spruce up existing buildings and businesses. If bike lanes are wanted put in other area. There is
not enough room for bike lanes and cars and to cut down on car lanes would be a mistake. It is
already crowded driving.
It is unfortunate that El Camino is also a transportation artery. I go north and south on it almost
daily. The only other option is the 101. Use 101 if I'm going out of town.
I think the plan is ok but it’s way too soon . There is little reason to walk downtown, until there
is more entertainment, shops and restaurants, it would just be an annoyance. I know I won’t
drive on ECR, I’ll be taking the freeway to avoid it.
Ordinance as to what kind of businesses are allowed to occupy 1st floors. i.e. professional
offices, real estate, doctors, lawyers not on ground level.
The street is too wide. Would like to see it divided with wider sidewalks.
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I’d like to see us model the area around places like downtown Paso and SLO. I think if we can
attract some large business (wine and brewery) that would be great. We need to make it easy to
walk. We need to address some of the transient issues. There are some sketchy people that can
make the area be less appealing
Being from Ojai (an even smaller town) I absolutely love this town. Growth is good for us, slowly.
I am very excited this project is for the residents here now. Thank you!
Improved bike lanes and walking paths would be beneficial to this town, especially from the
Home Depot end of ECR end. We do not feel safe walking that far beyond our block. So many
people put their lives at risk every day walking on the shoulder if the road.
Would like a safe walk way between San Ramon road and Del Rio. From the gas station at the
shops to the Starbucks by Home Depot. Many people walk this section with no sidewalks and no
street lightning.
Spend existing tax funds intelligently with THE RESIDENTS in mind … AND you do not need
additional tax revenue...... MANY have moved to Atascadero for a Smaller Town and want to
keep it that way… Do you REALLY think that Walmart would have keep their Paso store open
after they had a super grocery location in Atascadero. History tells us they would close their
Paso Store.... Then we would have everybody from King city to SLO and the coast on Atascadero
overpasses
Do something with the homeless and drug addicts!
Stop hurting existing, established businesses by permitting a direct competitor to open up shop
steps from their door!
No center division on ECR please.
Colonial lamp posts would help.
I have lived in Atascadero all my life. Making El Camino Real a single lane road each way would
be a nightmare.
The local businesses in danger of being shut down because of the project should have
consideration for improvements in order to bring new business to the city and to maintain the
existing business with the local residents.
Too many run down establishments, dive bars, pawn shops, used car lots. The city needs to
enact an ordinance, which makes it difficult for those types of businesses to remain in the
corridor. The city should also enact an ordinance which governs building style, colors, and
maintenance standards. For example, Sylvester’s is an Atascadero staple, but the yellow building
is an eyesore next to the most beautiful building in the County. They should be made to comply
with a reasonable aesthetic standard. Additionally, the City should consider installing
playground equipment near the downtown / sunken garden area. This seems to be a huge draw
in cities like Paso Robles and would draw people to the downtown area.
I don’t see that much congestion at our intersections, if at all maybe rarely. Only congestion in
our town is caused by all of the schools starting at the same time. Only thing we really need is
traffic control around the High School to keep traffic flowing, gets way to congested, it’s
ridiculous
Build up around the sunken gardens with retail uses, not offices/services. Create a definable
downtown; there's too much endless sprawl along El Camino without defined districts.
Drop the speed limit to 25 mph from Santa Barbara Rd through at least to Del Rio.
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I believe there should be more high-density housing near El Camino. Within walking distance to
shopping
To encourage a more pedestrian/walk/bike atmosphere especially in the downtown area.
It is ugly and I inviting with no central cohesiveness in design or business. There is not one single
hi end nice restaurant nor is there any decent place for people to hang out. There is no need for
more wine bars to hang out. There are no decent stores and there are no outdoor cafes or
boutiques to generate decent amount if foot traffic. There is a serious lack of judgement ion hue
to improve things and no o e from anywhere has anything nice to say about this town. Most
laugh at it. I live here and happen to be happy that the town is so empty and I can go about with
very little traffic and the stores are always empty. But it’s annoying to have to travel out of town
to do anything. We should bring the commerce here and I don’t mean by adding more wine
events creating a bunch of drunken drivers and crime around town. The drug culture in this
Tywin is bad too. Things have not improved in years despite all the improvement abs bounced
around. Do we really need another hotel???? We need things for our residents who live here.
And better public transportation dunce we all have to leave town in order to take care of our
necessary errands.
Break it up into useable segments with mixed residential/commercial uses, break it up with
residential areas and reduce it to two lanes in those areas; Improve streets with safe bike lanes
in the primary feeder streets to El Camino; Construct sidewalks along all primary feeder streets
to El Camino; construct parking garages to get people out of their cars - do not build more
surface parking; focus redevelopment in the downtown area and prioritize pedestrian and bike
access there. Get rid of all the stand-alone structures housing professional offices surrounding
the sunken gardens and construct multistory mixed residential/commercial buildings
Less strip malls filled with corporate chains
Speed limit between Rosario and Del Rio is too high (45 mph), and speed limit between Traffic
Way and Rosario is too low (25 mph). And, it doesn’t make any sense at all that it changes from
25 mph to 45 mph at Rosario. I think it would be better if it went from 30 mph to 35 mph, then
it could increase to 40 mph at San Anselmo. Forty-five mph is too high for El Camino Real.
Empty buildings create blight. What is going on with the old Harley Davidson shop on the corner
of Curbaril and ECR? I was told the new owner is waiting for permits on kitchen area - I may be
mistaken on the specifics. There is also a distillery that is supposed to be opening near Grape
Encounters. It's still not open for business.
Yes, the zoning for commercial businesses should be more open and adaptable to allow more
diverse types of businesses together. The city needs to be willing to be helpful to those that
want to open businesses instead of making it difficult. Having a city employee who's job is to
assist new businesses would be very helpful, an "advocate" for businesses.
More live work lofts
Consider getting rid of the used car lots and multiple thrift shops in the El Camino/traffic way
intersection. It ruins the ambiance of a charming downtown district
Provide a facility for the homeless population, or subsidize the ECHO shelter to provide daytime
services. There are many homeless individuals who seem to congregate along El Camino Real.
I wish that Walmart would have gone through and not so opposed by the city. The amount of
sales tax revenue that was lost is staggering and could have helped to build Atascadero like it did
to Paso. It would have also brought in several other stores. It is a huge loss and was poorly
planned by the city. I also understand that the city if very hard to deal with when people try to
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put businesses in. We are no longer in the age of mom and pop stores unfortunately, so people
need to start looking long term and what will sustain and the city needs to allow that to happen.
Too many City Council members are allowing there own thoughts and agendas to get in the way
and they are not representing the people.
I very much like the idea of slowing down the traffic in the downtown area. I like the idea of
going to one lane and adding more parking... making the area more pedestrian friendly.
It is the heart of the town and the more people are encouraged to walk/bike through it, the
more businesses will get traffic and attention. A place to come to, walk through, stay awhile!
Provide sizable sections for people/children use - the public.
I hope repaving is in the works! Especially on the north end, between San Anselmo and San
Benito. Also in that same stretch of road, it'd be awesome to have it widened and/or better use
of all the pavement heading south, seems like drivers get confused with how it narrows next to
Kennedy. I'd also love to see more pedestrian access and bike access along this stretch as well,
we live on San Benito and it would be great to be able to walk/bike downtown.
More family friendly activities
Sunken gardens business area is full of useless businesses for such a great location. Move Bristol
cider house to area and bring in more microbreweries/bars
I would love for the sunken gardens to be less offices, and more restaurants and entertainment
It is hard to cross El Camino Real for a pedestrian. To make the area more appealing, more
pedestrian crossings are needed. Also, the area near the Carlton is way too narrow. A single
automobile lane would make the most sense.
Would love more family friendly events and places to go.
New paved streets and landscaping would really make the area attractive.
It is the 'main drag' but we need off street connectivity
Extend study limits to southern city limits
ECR is too wide and lacks trees, safe pedestrian crosswalks, and safe bike lanes.
This project should continue through Santa Barbara Road.
Atascadero could benefit from a Costco at the north end of town.
It is very important to ensure ALL projects in town and the El Camino project are accessible for
all members of the community, such as those with disabilities!
Too much drugs
Please spend my tax dollars responsively
WE NEED A PARKING STRUCTURE IF YOU WANT THIS TO WORK. IF THERE IS A CONVENIENT
PLACE TO PARK THEN PEOPLE WILL WALK. THESE LITTLE STRIP MALLS YOU HAVE DO NOT HAVE
ENOUGH PARKING AND THIS IS ONE REASON BUSINESSES TO NOT SURVIVE.
There needs to be more parking areas for older folks with handicaps. Also need less landscaping
in exchange for increased visibility near traffic way.
Continue to beautify & highlight local companies
ECR could be a vibrant location. People think Atascadero’s residents only want cheap, yet many
of us drive to SLO for Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s multiple times a week. Atascadero residents
need consistent higher end options and beautification of ECR should help attract that diversity.
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No
Traffic moves very fast, tuen out lanes overlap and are dangerous
Do not want a 2 lane street it is already busy with a 4 lane street
I would love to see a park with play areas/mixed use along El Camino Real. Also, please make it
easier to bike from the west side of Atascadero onto the El Camino Corridor, as well as
improving bike lanes.
Our streets outside the corridor are so dangerous for walkers and cyclists. I’d hate to see the
corridor push more traffic to neighborhood roads.
The ped crossings on EC are ugly, dangerous and frustrating when the kids walk ONE AT A TIME
across the street.
Don't know the answer to these problems, but I do a lot of walking around town. Probably 50%
of the drivers (not an exaggeration) I see either speed, roll through stop signs or drive through
cross walks with pedestrians in them.
Please do not sacrifice residential quality of life for more bars & restaurants. The congestion &
noise around the downtown area is bad enough as it is.
Too many fast food restaurants! No consistent design vision, signage is hodge-podge
Zoning is terrible....too many used car lots...town looks classless.. roads aren't well kept
Suggest to incent business offices space development - to attract non-retail employers to
relocate along corridor, as well as affordable housing over commercial space along corridor
Thank you for moving our city forward.
Find a way to copy Paso all around city hall park. That would create atmosphere.
Much more street lighting at night, and smarter use of safe streets. More people would walk
into town if the streets/bike lanes were more modern
Do NOT make it single lane
There's been lots talk about bike paths what percentage of the traffic is bike traffic?
Move emergency services OUT of downtown to more central locations with better access in all
directions. Morro Road would be much better place with traffic signals for them. Ambulance is
the worst, APD is pretty close behind. Fire Dept would be okay left where it is, but think of what
that site could add to downtown if the AFD moved! Conjoined police fire station in a better
location would be best.
Employment opportunities will come when you add retailers and businesses.
Break the length into districts in name and design and focusing retail opportunities towards the
hub of each named district. Use historic names such as Eagle where that is located and so on...
No
Would be nice to have a grocery store at the north end of town, as well as a decent sit down
restaurant. Everything is so spread out that it makes it easier to drive to SLO, park and walk,
where there is retail shopping.
We aren't other cities. Stop trying to be like them.
Better dining in the downtown area
Please don’t waste my tax dollars on a study that the residents aren’t going approve of.
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I wish the city leaders would look at pictures of, or visit some attractive down town areas.
Bring back a bowling alley and billiards please
ECR is in sore need of pedestrian friendly improvements! A overhead pedestrian bridge in a
downtown location and another’s closer to Curbril would be a improvement that would open up
that corridor to much needed pedestrian access. The downtown area is well positioned for this
improvement!
The homeless need to be addressed.
El Camino Real is a high-use thoroughfare for local residents. A very important part of
Atascadero.
Give incentives to businesses that come here (tax breaks, etc) Ensure permit process is easy and
quick. Atascadero is not upscale and trendy. We want reasonable prices. El Camino is too long to
walk. Cluster things within walking distance. Each generation gets more lazy. People don't want
to walk and bike. They want to drive, park and have options in one tight place. Paso downtown
does well because there are lots of choices close together. Do NOT narrow El Camino. It won't
make people go downtown.
Too many conjected strip malls with poor signage- businesses appear tired looking, are difficult
to discover and have no visual unity. Not very inviting.
It would be nice to expand and have more to offer the people like Paso. We would love to have
a walking downtown community to enjoy festivals.
Clean up the homeless
Create more safe and family friendly activities for the evening
Manage the homeless population.
No
Beautiful, successful, popular places within our amazing state feature many large trees,
infrequent/slow vehicles, water features, recreational facilities/spaces/events, and a thankful
community of supporters, tourists, and citizens.
Yes, try harder to control transient and drug trafficking. It is getting easier to see from just
driving by now. Many are lying on grass areas or lying in ditches that are open. It is
embarrassing. I've lived here for 18 yrs now. We have a problem.
Since there are a number of thrift shops in Atascadero, maybe solicit these types of businesses
for downtown. Get rid of all the dentist and medical offices surrounding sunken gardens
I would like to see our town use the property at the north end of town for more retail stores as
SLO and Paso have done. It would create more tax revenue to improve our down town area. I
had retail businesses for 25 years here. When the now defunct Outlets went in, it improved my
business located in the down town area.
Offices around sunken gardens should all be businesses
Developing a "downtown" that is 9 miles long and 1 block on either side, does not create a
viable community option. Development has already occurred and businesses outside of the
Colony Square do not want to be left out, so not sure how the City can proceed after allowing
this development for so many years. While Paso Robles has a long main street also, they have
managed to create a viable downtown area. Wish Atascadero could have something similar
without alienating businesses outside the small area currently called our downtown. Also, as
housing is developed to the north, east and south of Atascadero infrastructure needs to be PRE
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PLANNED not be an afterthought. Especially Santa Barbara Road area with Eagle Ranch
supposedly being added in the future after Dove Creek and Las Lomas have already been built
out. An expanded overpass or double over pass should have been in the works years ago.
We don't quite have the population to support retail shops (clothing, etc.) but building in more
entertainment and food will help attract more people to eventually shop in my opinion. Also, El
Camino Real is so spread out, there isn't a good downtown area to walk besides what's
happening around the Carlton.
Keep our town a small town community
Rezoning along the corridor is important to us. We live in the northern section and find the
zoning to be confusing and patchwork. Some sort of continuity of vision for the whole corridor
would be helpful.
Encourage resident entrepreneurs, not chain franchises
Narrow ECR in the downtown area - people friendly!
No
Improvement on older dilapidated structures will go a long way to improving the overall look of
Atascadero into a more cohesive style.
People drive too fast. Even at lights peds crossings are dangerous!
It would be great to have a trampoline place on el Camino Real
Please take care of the homeless / drug problem around Vons and on the south end of town on
ECR. Better incentives / less fees for businesses coming in / please no more nail salons, sushi,
Mexican!!
More boutique fitness such as yoga, Pilates, more restaurant options outside of fast food, more
shopping :)
I love what Paso has done with their downtown- lots of great restaurants, a park, a kid's play
structure, live music and entertainment at night- would love for Atascadero to mimic that!
Focus on quality of life for people that are here. Keep homeless off the streets.
The area comes across as a series of strip malls with no cohesive theme. I can’t imagine walking
from place to place like I do in SLO or Paso. Hopefully this plan will make that possible. We live
just south of the designated area (off Santa Barbara) and it would be great to be able to safely
bike from our house to downtown for dining and entertainment.
Move out dentists, optometry, medical buildings
El Camino Real currently functions as a freeway. El Camino Real needs to be a pedestrian
friendly place where people don't have to fear for their lives if they should dare cross it.
We need more nice restaurants, no more Mexican food please.
We love the community. How can we create spaces where we want to go/meet with
neighbors/have events, etc? Having mixed land uses along the corridor? Redevelop "strip malls"
so that parking is hidden? Create public spaces/plazas? We would LOVE to be able to bike/walk
places, too! Lastly--THANK YOU for this planning effort! Very exciting!
road north of San Anselmo is TERRIBLE. Would love to see a creek clean up, and use as an
attraction downtown, like SLO.
We do not need another grocery story or grocery chain that will bring unneeded traffic to our
Dove Creek community
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Would like to see more police presence with the amount of transient and drug activity near the
Jr High, Vons and High school. My family doesn’t feel safe in these areas at night.
Too spread out. Make shopping centers / residential / commercial in separate areas
I would like to see more dining, retail and entertainment options near sunken gardens.
Improved parking areas
You're doing a GREAT job! :)
Don’t build anything new without utilizing or removing current buildings,
The south end of town needs more basic commercial buildings such as a regular grocery store,
gas station, coffee shop etc
Families, families, families! Ask yourself, how can we attract families to downtown Atascadero?
Get rid of dr’s & dentists, bring in family friendly entertainment & dining options. Add character!
Most of the downtown corridor has ZERO character. Whatever goes in down there, should have
a cohesive look.
Shutting down lanes is not an idea I support.
Get rid of used car lot on traffic and El Camino
I think the plan to slow traffic by changing the layout of El Camino through downtown is an
excellent idea and will improve the pedestrian experience. Also having more trees will help with
the heat in the summer! Also, more housing (like 2nd and 3rd floor apartments) would really
improve my experience in Atascadero, I've always wanted to rent in downtown but the options
are very limited and go quickly, so definitely something I think the city should promote when
people propose developments. And lastly, I'm always in support of more public art be it murals,
sculptures, or painted utility boxes.
More things to do: bowling alley, music venues, more parks, family friendly bike and walking
paths, less homeless
Address homeless issue
Focus on making the corridor between 41 and Rosario part of a vibrant downtown core!
Fix Traffic Way @ Santa Lucia & Ardilla
Change City Council. Bring in restaurants. We have too many fast foods. I mostly go to Paso
Robles.
Would like more biking areas
Page 71 of 139
THE
EL CAMINO PLANCOMMUNITY SURVEY
The City wants to hear from YOU! What would you like to see along El Camino Real corridor
in the future?
Background: The City of Atascadero is currently gathering information and public input for the El Camino
Plan, a corridor plan which intends to serve as a blueprint for future improvements and land uses along the
El Camino Real corridor. A Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant has been awarded to the City
to complete this study. The El Camino Plan seeks to reimagine and revitalize the central spine of the City
by formulating transportation and land use strategies that will attract economic development and promote
long-term fiscal sustainability.
1. Do you live or work in Atascadero?
Live Work Both Visitor
2. What do you like most about Atascadero?
3. How often do you shop or dine along the El Camino Real corridor?
* Shopping and dining include retail and wholesale purchases, beverages, and food purchases.
Everyday A few times a month
Several times each week Around once a month
Around once a week Every once and a while (less than once a month)
4. How often do you use other services / businesses along the El Camino Real corridor?
* Such as medical, dental, veterinary, and professional services (tax, law, insurance, etc.).
Everyday A few times a month
Several times each week Around once a month
Around once a week Every once and a while (less than once a month)
(continued on back)
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THE
EL CAMINO PLANCOMMUNITY SURVEY
5. What types of services do you regularly travel outside of Atascadero for?
Entertainment (movies, etc.) Recreation
Dining School
Groceries Professional Services
Retail Other (please specify) ____________________
6. What’s missing or not enough of along the El Camino Real corridor?
Sit-down dining Retail (clothing, household goods, sporting goods, etc.)
Casual dining Grocery/Pharmacy
Entertainment Other (please specify) ____________________
7. Do you ever walk or bike along the corridor?
Yes, often Yes, rarely No
8. Why don’t you walk or bike along the corridor?
Lack of shade along the sidewalk
Buildings are setback too far from the sidewalk
The business I visit are too spread out along the corridor
Don’t feel safe using the bike lanes or walking
Don’t typically walk or bike places
Other (please specify) ____________________________
9. Do you want to receive updates about the El Camino Plan?
Yes. Please notify me of upcoming community workshops.
No
Thank you for participating! Please share your name to be added to the City's email list
and receive updates about the El Camino Plan.
Name: ____________________________ Email: _____________________________
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 3
Page 73 of 139
Market Study
DRAFT June 20, 2019
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 4
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Prepared for:
City of Atascadero
6500 Palma Avenue
Atascadero CA 93422
805-461-5000
Atascadero.org
Prepared by:
PlaceWorks
3 MacArthur Place, Suite 1100
Santa Ana CA 92707
714-966-9220
placeworks.com
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 4
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................... V
Retail Market Demand .................................................................... v
Office Market Demand .................................................................. vii
Industrial Market Demand ........................................................... viii
Lodging ....................................................................................... ix
Planning Implications .................................................................... ix
INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 1
PURPOSE AND INTENT .................................................. 1
THE EL CAMINO PLAN ................................................... 1
DATA SOURCES ............................................................. 2
ECONOMIC CONTEXT ....................................................... 5
NATIONAL ECONOMY CONTEXT ..................................... 5
National Economic Output ............................................................. 5
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES .............................................. 6
Labor Force ................................................................................. 8
Home Buyers ............................................................................... 8
CHANGING NATURE OF RETAIL ...................................... 8
REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONTEXT .................................. 10
Regional Economic Development Priorities ..................................... 11
Decline of Manufacturing Employment .......................................... 11
RETAIL ANALYSIS ................................................................. 13
TAXABLE RETAIL SALES ............................................... 13
RETAIL TYPES ............................................................. 15
Convenience Goods and Services .................................................. 15
Comparison Goods ...................................................................... 15
Eating and Drinking Places .......................................................... 16
Experience-Oriented Shopping ...................................................... 16
RETAIL MARKET ANALYSIS BASICS ............................... 16
Trade Area ................................................................................. 16
Household Spending ................................................................... 18
Estimated Retail Sales ................................................................. 18
Sales Efficiency .......................................................................... 18
Calculating Retail Demand ........................................................... 18
RETAIL MARKET DEMAND ............................................ 19
Convenience Goods .................................................................... 19
Comparison Goods ...................................................................... 20
RETAIL IMPLICATIONS ................................................. 22
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Page ii The El Camino Plan | Market Study
Retail Business Development ....................................................... 22
Retail Building Space .................................................................. 23
Parking and Development Standards ............................................. 24
OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL ANALYSIS ....................... 25
LOCAL JOBS AND COMMUTING .................................... 25
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS ............................................... 27
REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT PROJECTION ........................ 28
OFFICE DEMAND ......................................................... 30
Office-Based Businesses .............................................................. 30
Office-Based Employment ............................................................ 30
Market Potential ......................................................................... 31
Office Implications ...................................................................... 31
MEDICAL OFFICE ......................................................... 32
INDUSTRIAL DEMAND ................................................. 33
Industrial Businesses .................................................................. 33
Industrial Employment ................................................................ 33
Market Potential ......................................................................... 33
Industrial Implications ................................................................. 34
LODGING AND ENTERTAINMENT ............................ 35
LODGING .................................................................... 35
Entertainment Market Potential ..................................................... 37
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List of Figures
Figure 1: The El Camino Plan—Study Area Boundary and Existing
Land Use .............................................................................. 3
Figure 2: US Real GDP (billions of chained 2009 dollars), 1947
Q1 to 2018 Q4...................................................................... 5
Figure 3: Number of Live Births and Fertility Rate with
Demographic Groupings, United States, 2010 to 2015 .............. 7
Figure 4: Inflation-Adjusted Monthly Retail Sales per Household
(2019 dollars), by Type, United States, 2000 to 2018 .............. 9
Figure 5: Annual Manufacturing Sector Employment and GDP as
a Percentage of 2001 Level, San Luis Obispo County, 2001
to 2017 .............................................................................. 12
Figure 6: Inflation-Adjusted Taxable Retail Sales per Household
(2019 dollars), San Luis Obispo County and Incorporated
Jurisdictions, 2006 to 2016 ................................................. 14
Figure 7: Convenience Goods and Comparison Goods Retail Trade
Areas .................................................................................. 17
Figure 8: Number of jobs per Household, San Luis Obispo County
and Cities, Average for 2013 to 2015 .................................... 25
Figure 9: Where Atascadero Residents Work ................................. 26
Figure 10: Employment by Major Groups of Sectors, San Luis
Obispo County, 1990 to 2018 .............................................. 27
List of Tables
Table 1: Shopping Center Types .................................................. 15
Table 2: Retail Market Potential (square feet, gross floor area),
2018 and 2023 .................................................................. 21
Table 3: Five-Year Projected Employment Change by Economic
Sector, San Luis Obispo County, 2019 to 2024 ...................... 29
Table 4: Office Market Potential, Atascadero, 2019 to 2024 .......... 31
Table 5: Industrial Market Potential, Atascadero, 2019 to 2024 ..... 34
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
The Market Study quantifies the degree to which market forces may
support the desired uses and types of development envisioned under
the El Camino Plan. While the plan focuses on certain portions of the
El Camino Real corridor, the market study considers market demand
citywide.
Retail Market Demand
Trends in Retail
When adjusted for inflation and the number of households, in-store re-
tail sales nationally (excluding auto sales) recovered somewhat from the
recession but have not returned to prerecession levels. Indeed, over the
past five years, in-store sales of convenience goods have declined 1.5
percent per year, and in-store sales of comparison goods have declined
0.3 percent per year. At the same time, online retail sales have in-
creased 5.0 percent per year, consumer spending at restaurants and
bars has increased 2.6 percent per year, and spending on entertain-
ment and recreation has increased 2.4 percent per year.
The shift of consumer spending to ecommerce has been growing for a
long time. However, since the recession, Americans have begun to
make a fundamental change, in which the typical family is spending no
more at bricks-and-mortar retail stores. Increased consumer spending
is taking place online, at restaurants, and for entertainment and recre-
ation.
Although the nature of retail is changing, bricks-and-mortar stores still
account for the vast majority of sales (83 percent, down from 88 per-
cent five years ago). As this trend continues, retail stores are experi-
menting with various approaches to online retail, including online or-
dering with in-store pick-up or delivery. Grocery stores are experiment-
ing with online ordering with home delivery, and if they are successful,
it is likely that most chains will close some stores. The supermarket-
anchored shopping center, long a staple of suburban America, may be-
come obsolete.
Current thinking is that weaker, and even some moderately strong,
shopping centers and districts will face increasing vacancies, and
stronger centers and districts will continue to thrive, and perhaps grow
with reduced competition. New retail development is expected to be
limited mainly to areas with significant housing growth and areas that
are substantially underserved.
Taxable Retail Sales in Atascadero
Prior to the 2008–09 recession, the amount of taxable retail sales per
household was higher in Atascadero than the countywide average, alt-
hough still lower than in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
Since the recession, the amount of inflation-adjusted taxable retail sales
per household has increased slightly in Atascadero but is still substan-
tially below the prerecession level. In contrast, the level is at or near the
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precession level countywide and in Paso Robles, and sales have ex-
ceeded the prerecession level in San Luis Obispo. The retail sector in
Atascadero has not yet fully recovered from the recession.
Retail Market Potential in Atascadero
The market study analyzed the potential market demand for retail busi-
nesses in Atascadero. The analysis defined a trade area that is truncated
to the northwest and southeast, reflecting competition from Paso Robles
and San Luis Obispo. The trade area is extended to the northeast and
southwest, reflecting the lack of retail businesses in these more sparsely
populated areas.
Overall, the market analysis finds that there is a substantial amount of
retail spending by trade area households that occurs in other cities ra-
ther than in Atascadero. The report describes several factors that may
limit the City’s ability to capture the leaked retail spending.
The analysis notes that there are two types of stores that do not currently
leak retail spending—food and beverage stores (which includes grocery
stores) and building materials, garden equipment, and supply stores.
For convenience goods (items that people buy on a regular basis), the
analysis finds that current market demand could support an additional
pharmacy and a variety of small retailers in cosmetics, beauty supplies,
food and health supplements, office supplies, pet supplies, and other
miscellaneous store types. Across all these convenience goods stores,
if the City captured all the leaked spending, the market could support
up to 29,000 square feet of additional retail building space.
For restaurants and drinking places, the analysis finds that there is a
substantial amount of leaked spending, which could support 38,700
to 67,600 square feet of new restaurants and bars. Restaurants and
bars are key components of the emerging emphasis on experience-ori-
ented shopping to compete against online retail. This level of market
demand could be spread throughout downtown and along El Camino
Real.
For comparison goods (items that people tend to purchase infrequently
or rarely), the analysis finds that the City leaks spending for furniture
and home furnishings, electronics and appliances, sporting goods, and
book and music stores. Capturing this leaked spending in Atascadero
could support new stores in each of these categories. However, many
of the national chains in these retail categories are experiencing difficult
times, facing challenges from the shift to online retail and high debt.
Many national chains are in the process of shrinking their footprint ra-
ther than expanding. It may take longer to attract new businesses in
these retail categories, and the City may not be able to capture all the
leaked spending. However, there are opportunities for existing stores to
capture some of this leaked spending and opportunities for new inde-
pendent businesses.
Communities that do not have a regional mall and the bevy of chain
stores that locate near malls almost always leak retail spending for
clothing and clothing accessory stores. In Atascadero, that leaked
spending could support up to 181,400 square feet of retail building
space. Without a regional mall, it is unlikely that the City could attract
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enough businesses to capture all the leaked spending. Nevertheless,
this is a sizeable amount of spending, suggesting that the City should
be able to attract small-scale or boutique clothing and accessory stores.
The analysis indicates that there is potential market demand for general
merchandise stores. One subcategory in this type of retail is department
stores, which would include stores like Target and Walmart. The market
support in this subcategory is for about 135,000 square feet. This
should cover an average Target or Walmart, and so it is no surprise that
Walmart had proposed a new store in Atascadero. The market analysis
suggests that attracting such a store may be realistic. At the same time,
the changing nature of retail suggests that even this level of leaked
spending may not be sufficient to attract a new department store/gen-
eral merchandise store.
Retail Environment
One of the challenges facing retail growth in Atascadero is the outdated
nature of some of the existing retail building space. Along some parts
of the corridor, stand-alone, single-use retail buildings stand on their
individual parcel with their own curb cut and parking lot. In other areas,
retail businesses are interspersed among light industrial, self-storage,
and other uses, lacking visibility and easy accessibility.
Many of these poorer locations have tenant turnover and vacancy is-
sues, and these result in lower asking lease rates. Low lease rates limit
the ability of property owners to maintain and invest in their properties.
Low lease rates also make it harder for better-situated retail properties
to command lease rates high enough to support new development and
reinvestment in existing properties.
To capitalize on the market potential, the El Camino Plan should focus
on creating and enhancing experience-oriented shopping districts and
centers, which can compete with the continuing shift to online retail.
The plan should also identify strategies to allow the transition of some
outdated retail buildings to other uses in order to reduce vacancies and
to increase lease rates to levels that will support new retail development
and reinvestment in existing retail properties.
Office Market Demand
Office market demand is typically driven by growth in employment in
knowledge-based sectors that primarily operate in office buildings.
These sectors include: Information; Professional, scientific, and tech-
nical services; and Management of companies and enterprises. These
sectors account for 4.8 percent of the jobs in the city and 6.8 percent
of the jobs countywide. More importantly, these sectors added 1,300
jobs countywide over the last five years, growing 1.8 percent per year.
Total five-year job growth in these sectors in Atascadero was a single
digit. At the current local trend, job growth in these sectors would not
support new office development in Atascadero.
Office-based businesses and office developers increasingly view Atas-
cadero favorably. In part, this is because there is room to grow and
develop in the City and the City is perceived as business friendly. In
addition, San Luis Obispo, which has captured most of the office-based
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employment growth in the past, has low vacancies, higher lease rates,
and is perceived as challenging to entitle new office development.
These factors suggest that the City could account for a larger share of
future growth in office-based employment. The analysis finds that if the
City gets one-third of new office-based businesses and 11 percent of
the remaining expansions in office jobs (the City’s current share of
countywide office workers), the market could generate up to 195,000
square feet of new office development.
The quality of place is becoming increasingly important in the location
decisions of firms in these sectors. They are competing with each other
for skilled and educated workers, and these workers increasingly place
a value on working in mixed-use districts with restaurants and services
within walking distance. Places in proximity to downtown or to walka-
ble nodes along the corridor would make attractive locations for office
development.
Medical office is often considered a subset of the general office market.
Atascadero accounts for a large part of countywide employment in the
health care and social services sector, due in large part to Atascadero
State Hospital. However, the city’s share of medical office businesses is
closer to its share of total countywide jobs, nearly 8 percent. If the
county adds a similar number of medical office jobs over the next five
years and if the share of those new jobs locating in Atascadero is similar
to the city’s share of medical office employment, then the city would
need an additional 42,000 square feet of medical office building space.
Industrial Market Demand
Industrial market demand is driven primarily by growth in the Manu-
facturing, Wholesale trade, and Transportation and warehousing sec-
tors. However, the market study focuses on industrial demand gener-
ated by the manufacturing sector, because these uses are more suited
to locations along El Camino Real than are warehousing and distribu-
tion facilities.
Atascadero accounts for less than 3 percent of countywide manufactur-
ing employment. Although there was a small increase in manufacturing
employment over the last five years in the city, the sector has still not
returned to prerecession employment levels. In contrast, the manufac-
turing sector added 1,100 jobs countywide over the past five years,
growing at a rate of 3.2 percent per year.
As with office development, manufacturing businesses and industrial
developers increasingly view Atascadero as a favorable location. With
available land and facilities and a robust business attraction effort, the
analysis finds that the City could attract up to 25 percent of future man-
ufacturing employment growth. This could result in the development of
up to 237,700 square feet of new industrial building space.
Some of this new industrial development would need to be separated
from potential conflicts with non-industrial land uses. However, some
of the new industrial business would be smaller scale and could be
integrated in horizontally mixed-use business districts that would be
suitable for the El Camino Real corridor.
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Lodging
Atascadero accounts for a small percentage of the lodging establish-
ments countywide and an even smaller percentage of employment in
the accommodations sector. However, this is not unexpected because
Atascadero is inland, and the county has several beach communities
with an active tourism base. Nevertheless, even based on the number
of employees in the accommodations sector per 1,000 population
statewide, the city has about half the amount of lodging as could be
expected.
Many cities seek to attract new investment in hotels in order to collect
additional revenue from transient occupancy tax. Furthermore, over-
night visitors often provide spending support for nearby restaurants, en-
tertainment businesses, and retail stores. While the Market Study does
not quantify demand for a particular number of additional hotel rooms,
the El Camino Plan should consider ways to encourage hotel develop-
ment in order to capitalize on the benefits that hotel and visitors gener-
ate for nearby businesses. Development of new destination entertain-
ment and recreation opportunities and economic growth that supports
additional business travel will help attract new hotel investment.
Planning Implications
Based on the Market Study analysis, the El Camino Plan should con-
sider the following.
Plan for Experience-Oriented Retail. The Market Study finds that there
is a substantial amount of leaked retail spending that could support
additional retail businesses. However, with the changing nature of re-
tail, the walkability, entertainment and recreation opportunities, and ex-
perience of a place will become increasingly important for sustainable
and lucrative retail districts and centers.
Big-Box Is a Maybe. The Market Study finds that there is enough con-
sumer spending to support big-box retail, but with the changing nature
of retail, it may be difficult to attract investment from national chains.
The plan need not do away with development standards that accom-
modate large format retailers, but the plan also should not rely on the
attraction of such a business.
Provide for Transition of Older Retail Buildings. The plan should provide
ways that property owners with older and, perhaps, obsolete retail
buildings can transition their property to an alternative use if interested.
Office and manufacturing facilities may be appropriate in some parts of
the corridor. In some circumstances, multifamily residential might also
be appropriate, most often when it is within walking distance of a
planned experience-oriented retail district or center or when it is part of
a mixed-use building. The City could also seek out grants to provide
funding to assist retail businesses to move from older and obsolete
buildings to better, experience-oriented retail districts or nodes along El
Camino Real.
Partner with the Small Business Development Center. The city can part-
ner with the Cal Poly Center for Innovation Small Business Development
Center to provide training to existing local businesses and budding en-
trepreneurs interested in starting a new business in Atascadero.
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Plan for New Office Development. The plan should identify ways of
accommodating new office space in proximity to walkable retail districts
or centers. Considering the long-term potential, the plan could accom-
modate multistory office buildings and additional acreage. Areas outside
of the El Camino Plan could also accommodate some of the future office
demand. In addition, the plan should consider the degree to which
medical office space is appropriate.
Plan for New Industrial Development. The plan should identify ways of
accommodating new industrial development, both large-scale tradi-
tional manufacturing and smaller-scale business integrated into mixed-
use business districts. As with the office demand, new industrial devel-
opment may be accommodated in other areas of the city, not just along
the corridor.
Actively Market Atascadero to Office and Industrial Businesses. City
staff currently engages with potential businesses about the opportuni-
ties in Atascadero. The city also has other partners than can help with
business attraction, including real estate brokers and dealers and the
San Luis Obispo Economic Vitality Corporation.
Consider Adopting a Specific Plan. A specific plan can provide a level
of environmental clearance and certainty in the development process,
both of which can ease and quicken the development process. It is not
uncommon, especially with industrial businesses, that businesses look-
ing to expand seek opportunities that can become productive assets
quickly.
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Introduction
Atascadero is an attractive place to live. Over the past three years, the
city’s annual rate of population growth (0.9 percent) and housing
growth (0.8 percent) has outpaced the annual rate of countywide
growth (0.4 percent for population and 0.5 percent for housing). The
city’s rates of growth were also higher than the rates in the cities of Paso
Robles and San Luis Obispo.
Despite the more rapid growth in people and housing, the city has
lagged behind the county as a whole in economic growth. From 2013
to 2018, the total number of jobs in the city increased at a rate of 1.6
percent per year, somewhat lower than the countywide job growth rate
of 1.9 percent per year. From 2008 to 2013, the city’s share of count-
ywide employment declined from 8.5 percent to 7.8 percent. In 2016,
the value of taxable retail sales per household in the city were 16.7
percent above the recession low but 18.9 percent below the prereces-
sion high. When adjusted for inflation, the value of taxable retail sales
per household was 32 percent below the prerecession high.
The city has focused on economic development for several years in or-
der to promote the overall quality of life in Atascadero and to develop a
stable and resilient tax base to fund public facilities and services. The
city has implemented a Signage Clean-up Strategy, adopted a Market-
ing Plan focused on events and promotion, established a vision and
plan for tourism and promotions, streamlined permitting for businesses,
and fostered partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce, the Eco-
nomic Vitality Corporation, local businesses, and commercial brokers.
The city has and continues to invest in infrastructure to support busi-
nesses. The city is currently conducting a study of the El Camino Real
corridor—the El Camino Plan— to provide guidance on commercial op-
portunities and transportation connections through the city.
Purpose and Intent
The purpose of the market study is to provide a common understanding
of the economic and market forces that may help or hinder the city’s
economic development efforts and to identify opportunities to support
and enhance the city’s economic growth. The market study primarily is
intended to inform the El Camino Plan, but its analysis and findings are
relevant to all the city’s economic development efforts.
The El Camino Plan
El Camino Real is the main commercial corridor in Atascadero. Most of
the city’s businesses are located along the corridor. Efforts to reimagine
and revitalize the city’s economy must take into account El Camino
Real.
Funded with a Caltrans grant, the El Camino Plan focuses on two large
segments of El Camino Real. Figure 1 on page 3 shows the boundaries
of the two study areas. The north study area covers the corridor from
Introduction
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the intersection with San Benito Road to the northwest to the intersec-
tion with San Anselmo Road to the southeast. The area farther north
along El Camino was not included because it has newer development
and the city-adopted Del Rio Specific Plan. The south study area covers
the corridor from the intersection with Morro Road to the northwest to
the intersection with San Gabriel Road to the southwest. San Gabriel
Road marks the end of commercial and industrial uses along the corri-
dor, and the area farther south along the corridor is used almost exclu-
sively for residences (although Atascadero State Hospital is a major use
connected to the corridor south of San Gabriel).
The El Camino Plan does not include the downtown area, primarily
because the city is much further along in planning for and revitalizing
downtown. Indeed, the El Camino Plan is, in part, an effort by the city
to provide a commensurate level of attention to the other parts of El
Camino Real. It is also worth noting that the plan does not cover the
two other areas of the city with significant nonresidential development:
the commercial corridor along Morro Road southwest of the 101 free-
way and the industrial area along Traffic Way north of downtown.
The El Camino Plan will provide recommendations for vision, land use
and zoning, and multimodal circulation for the two study areas. The
plan itself will only be advisory unless and until the city takes additional
action to amend the general plan and zoning regulations. At the time
this Market Study was prepared, the plan was not far enough along to
say that there is or is not a need for planning and zoning changes.
Data Sources
The analyses in this report are substantially based on publicly available
data sources. Specific data sources are identified at relevant points
throughout this report.
In addition, the analyses use confidential employment data from the
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, obtained from the Cali-
fornia Employment Development Department. State law prohibits pub-
lic disclosure or dissemination of this data. To comply with this re-
striction, this report characterizes the implications of the data analysis
with confidential data rather than provide the specific data itself.
Finally, several business, developers, and brokers were interviewed to
gain their insights on local market conditions. While specific insight is
referenced throughout the report, the interviewees were generally en-
thusiastic about the opportunities for development and economic
growth in Atascadero. Although this report does not analyze residential
market demand, the interviewees also indicated that Atascadero has
strong market support for residential development, including multifam-
ily housing along the corridor.
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Figure 1: The El Camino Plan—Study Area Boundary and Existing Land Use
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Economic Context
When economists discuss a local economy, they are really talking about
the local area’s share of the regional economy. And in turn, the regional
economy is best understood in terms of what it exports to and imports
from the national economy. Before analyzing the local economy of Atas-
cadero, this report provides the context of the national and regional
economies.
National Economy Context
The national economy peaked in December 2007 and entered the
2008–09 recession, the most severe contraction since the two reces-
sions of the Great Depression. The economy began growing again in
July 2009 and, if it continues through June 2019, will become the
longest economic expansion in US history. Although the national econ-
omy is expected to continue growing, the Federal Reserve’s current out-
look is for slower growth in 2019 than 2018 and slower growth in
2020 than 2019.
National Economic Output
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total value of goods and services
an economy produces, usually measured over a quarter or year. GDP
provides the most basic measure of how an economy is performing.
However, it only counts goods and services that are paid for, and thus,
it does not take into account intangible values, such as the long-term
value of education, an individual’s good health, unpaid housework, or
volunteer service. Even with this limitation, GDP is the most basic
measure of an economy and the most common indicator of an econ-
omy’s health—is it growing, declining, or stagnating?
Figure 2 shows the national GDP from 1947 through the end of 2018.
GDP grew substantially, especially in the second and third quarters of
2018, spurred in part by the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
Figure 2: US Real GDP (billions of chained 2009 dollars), 1947 Q1 to 2018 Q4
Note: Shaded areas indicate recessions.
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019 using GDP data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis and
recession date data from the National Bureau for Economic Research.
0
4,000
8,000
12,000
16,000
20,000
19471952195719621967197219771982198719921997200220072012Economic Context
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However, the Federal Reserve expects that the stimulus effects of the
tax cuts will wane in 2019. That, coupled with the impact of substan-
tially slowing economies in China and Europe, will dampen general
economic growth in the US.
Even with these headwinds to the national economy, there are other
market forces that may ameliorate downward pressures. After the hous-
ing market weakness resulting from increasing interest rates, mortgage
rates have declined from November 2018 highs to the lowest in twelve
months, and the pace of housing price increases has slowed. Over the
past year, year-over-year wage growth has increased at the highest rate
in nine years.
While the rate of growth in the national economy is expected to slow, it
is still expected to grow. There are different sectors and different busi-
nesses that grow or stagnate or decline at different points in the busi-
ness cycle. Technological innovation can increase productivity unex-
pectedly for an individual economic sector or for a particular product
type. Atascadero may need to be patient and committed with its eco-
nomic development efforts, but the point is, as always, to focus on the
growth potential.
Demographic Changes
After World War II, the number of births in the US increased substan-
tially above its long-term norm, peaked around 1957, and showed a
sharp decline from 1964 to 1965. Starting in 1980, the number of
births then began to climb once again, as the baby boomers began
forming families. Those born between 1945 and 1964 are often re-
ferred to as the “baby boom” generation. Although there are not precise
definitions for the subsequent “baby bust” generation, those born be-
tween 1965 and 1979 are typically referred to by the colloquial term
“Gen-X.” Those born between 1980 and 1999 are typically referred to
by the colloquial term “Millennials.” Finally, those born since 2000 rep-
resent another new demographic cohort, but there is no term commonly
ascribed to this group, so, for now, they are referred to as “Gen-Z.”
Figure 3 shows the number of live births and the fertility rate (the num-
ber of live births per woman age 15 to 45) for each year from 1910 to
2017 for the US. From a record high of 4,316,233 in 2007, the num-
ber of live births in the US has declined. The number in 2017,
3,855,500 live births, was about the same as in 1950, 1965 (the
beginning of the baby bust), and 1987. The fertility rate reached a post-
war high of 122.7 live births per 1,000 women age 15 to 45 in 1956,
reached a record low of 63.2 in 2011, and has continued to decline
since then, reaching 60.3 in 2017.
One final measure is total fertility rate, which is not shown in the chart.
This measure is the expected number of lifetime births per 1,000
women given current birth rates by age. A total fertility rate of 2,100.0
births per 1,000 women is considered necessary to replace a popula-
tion over time. The US total fertility rate in 2017 was 1,765.5 (and
1,692.5 in California). Except for 2007, the US total fertility rate has
not exceeded 2,100 since 1971. But for immigration, the US popula-
tion would be declining over time.
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Figure 3: Number of Live Births and Fertility Rate with Demographic Groupings, United States, 2010 to 2015
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019, using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Vital Statistics Program.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
1910191519201925193019351940194519501955196019651970197519801985199019952000200520102015Fertility RateTotal Number of Live BirthsMillionsBaby
Boom Gen-X Millenials Gen-Z
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What is not known is whether the declines in total number of live births
and the fertility rate are a lingering effect of the 2008–09 recession or
if they represent a new longer-term trend. After all, as the data in the
chart show, the fertility rate has varied up and down but remained
within a relatively narrow range from 1975 to 2010.
Labor Force
Each day, an estimated 10,000 people in the Baby Boomer generation
retire in America. Nationally, there were 18 percent fewer total births
during the Gen-X years (1965 to 1979) than during the youngest 15
years of the Baby Boom (1950 to 1964). As boomers move into retire-
ment, the US labor force may not have enough skilled and educated
workers to fill their jobs.
Although the recession and lengthy recovery has somewhat dampened
this impact, there is an expectation that jobs will chase workers. Re-
gions that have the quality of life to attract the most highly educated
and most highly skilled workers will also attract the jobs that need those
highly skilled and educated workers. As in the late 1990s, proximity to
available labor will become the most important factor for business loca-
tion decisions, surpassing land costs, perceived business climate, and
where company executives reside.
Home Buyers
Among previous generations, a sizeable percentage moved after retire-
ment, either to a completely different state (typically from colder north-
ern states to warmer sunbelt states) or just to a smaller home in the
same region. The recession and resulting decline in home values ap-
pears to have dampened relocation among baby boomers, at least for
now. The other side of the retirement question, however, is whether
there will be enough Gen-Xers and Millennials willing and able to buy
homes that retiring Baby Boomers may want to leave.
It is well documented that Millennials are more burdened by student
loan debt that previous generations, and they have the lowest rate of
home ownership among all the generations at their current age. Beyond
the ability to afford home ownership, the average Millennial may be
more interested in urban and micropolitan homes than the average
Baby Boomer was when purchasing their first homes.
This relationship between those Baby Boomers wanting to sell their
homes after retirement and Millennials wanting to purchase a home
has implications for Atascadero and San Luis Obispo County. The
county has the 15th highest median house price in California, yet it is
the lowest among the four Central Coast counties. Housing costs may
be a deterrent to Millennials moving to the region and college graduates
being able to remain after graduation. The city and the county have a
higher percentage of their residents in the age 65 and older cohort,
indicating that the region attracts retirees. The continued attraction of
retirees depends on them being able to sell their existing homes.
Changing Nature of Retail
The nature of the way Americans purchase retail goods has changed
and continues to change. Online retail has been growing for many
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years. Retail sales at bricks-and-mortar stores had been increasing until
things started to slow with the recession. In-store sales have yet to fully
recover from the recession.
Figure 4 shows the average monthly retail sales per household in the
US, adjusted for inflation. The data show convenience goods (such as
grocery stores, pharmacies, and gasoline stations), comparison goods
(such as furniture, electronics, and so forth), and nonstore retail (which
includes catalog sales and online retail spending). The retail sales data
exclude autos and dining.
Sales at convenience goods stores and comparison goods stores have
recovered somewhat since the recession, but neither has returned to
prerecession levels. In contrast, sales at nonstore retailers are now 57
percent higher than the prerecession levels. Over the past five years,
sales at both types of bricks-and-mortar stores have remained stagnant,
yet sales at nonstore retailers have increased nearly 30 percent.
Although sales at bricks-and-mortar stores are not declining, the growth
in retail is in online commerce. New retail development can be expected
to following household growth, with little to no new retail development
expected in built-out areas without sizeable housing development. Gro-
cery stores are experimenting with online ordering and delivery. If they
are successful, it is possible that grocers will close some stores, and the
supermarket-anchored shopping center, long a staple of suburban land
use patterns, may become obsolete.
Figure 4: Inflation-Adjusted Monthly Retail Sales per Household (2019
dollars), by Type, United States, 2000 to 2018
Note: Data exclude autos and food service and drinking places.
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019, using retail sales and number of households data from the US
Census Bureau and inflation data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018Convenience Goods Comparison Goods
Nonstore Retail
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Current thinking suggests that, over time, weaker shopping centers and
districts will lose retail businesses, and stronger shopping centers and
districts will continue to thrive with less competition—and perhaps ex-
pand. The response among many shopping center owners is to focus
on experience-oriented retail by adding more restaurants and entertain-
ment and recreation—activities that cannot easily be replicated online.
Interestingly, both weaker and stronger shopping centers are following
this approach.
Regional Economic Context
Atascadero’s local economy is an integrated part of the regional econ-
omy of San Luis Obispo and the Central Coast. Relative to the statewide
economy, the following sectors account for a larger share of total em-
ployment:
+ Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
+ Utilities
+ Construction
+ Accommodation and food services
+ Other services (excluding public administration)
+ Public administration
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant accounts for a large part of the
relative importance of the utilities sector. The annual rate of housing
growth in the county is 30 percent higher than the statewide rate, which
explains the greater importance of construction in the regional econ-
omy. Tourism drives the increased importance of accommodations and
food service in the regional economy. Finally, the state’s Division of
Juvenile Justice correctional facility in Paso Robles and Cal Poly State
University in San Luis Obispo account for the relative importance of
public administration sector.
The following economic sectors account for a substantially smaller per-
centage of employment in the regional economy relative to the statewide
economy:
+ Wholesale trade
+ Transportation and warehousing
+ Finance and insurance
+ Management of companies and enterprises
+ Arts, entertainment, and recreation
The county is probably not well suited for significant development of
warehousing and distribution facilities due to topography and the fact
that the county is relatively equidistant from distribution facilities in
northern and southern California. It is not clear why the finance and
insurance sector and the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector ac-
count for relatively small shares of total employment. The remoteness
from the two major metropolitan areas of the state that makes the
county an attractive tourism destination also makes it less attractive as
a location from which to manage a corporation.
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Regional Economic Development Priorities
The San Luis Obispo Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC) has adopted
an economic development strategy that identifies six clusters that are
the focus of its business development and business attraction efforts:
1. Building Design and Construction Cluster
Consists of architectural and engineering services; building construction
and building equipment contractors; finishing, foundation, structure,
and building exterior contractors; heavy and civil engineering construc-
tion; land subdivision; utility system construction; and roadway and
bridge construction.
2. Energy Cluster
Made up of generation, recovery transmission, distribution, and tech-
nical services; heating and air conditioning; and any other existing or
emerging sectors involved in the energy industry.
3. Health Services Cluster
Including home health care services, elderly community care facilities,
medical and diagnostic laboratories, outpatient care centers, acute care
hospitals, doctor’s offices, dentist’s offices, ambulatory services, and bi-
osciences and medical products.
4. Knowledge and Innovation Services Cluster
Made up of a range of businesses, including computer systems design;
software publishers; colleges, universities, and professional schools;
advertising services; printing services; and general professional, scien-
tific, management, and technical services.
5. Specialized Manufacturing Cluster
Covers aerospace product manufacturing, basic and agricultural chem-
ical manufacturing, electrical equipment manufacturing, medical
equipment and supply manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing,
transportation and navigation equipment manufacturing, agricultural
and construction machinery manufacturing, plastics and rubber manu-
facturing, motor vehicle and parts manufacturing, metalwork manufac-
turing, and cement and concrete manufacturing.
6. Uniquely SLO County Cluster
Includes aquaculture and floriculture production, vegetable farming,
cattle ranching, fruit and nut farming, olives and olive oil, walnut oil,
animal processing, and wine and beer production. Also includes recre-
ation and accommodation, such as higher-value food and drink estab-
lishments; traveler accommodations; and amusement and recreation
industries.
Decline of Manufacturing Employment
Over the last 50 years, manufacturing provided steady, well-paying jobs
for blue-collar workers. Since 1979, though, these jobs have been de-
clining, lost to automation and productivity as well as to foreign com-
petition and offshoring. Nationwide, the number of manufacturing jobs
has declined by 7.2 million, or 37 percent, since the peak in 1979.
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This does not mean the manufacturing industry is declining; in fact,
manufacturing output has increased since 2001. Figure 5 shows man-
ufacturing employment and the value of manufacturing production (in-
dexed on 2001 numbers) and illustrates that, despite employment be-
ing 2.9 percent below its 2001 level, manufacturing output is up 79.6
percent above its 2001 level.
Manufacturing workers are becoming more productive. Today, the av-
erage factory worker makes $180,000 worth of goods each year, which
is three times what the average worker produced in 1978. As a more
specific example, in the 1950s, GM produced an average of seven cars
per employee per year; now the company makes 28 cars per employee
per year, so the employees are four times as productive.
What has happened across the US, and even more so in California, is
that lower-value manufacturing has chased cheap labor in low-wage
countries in South America and Southeast Asia. What has remained is
high-value manufacturing. It is worth noting that, of the federally de-
fined metropolitan statistical areas, the Los Angeles-Orange Counties
MSA has the highest number of manufacturing employees and the high-
est value of manufacturing production in the US. The notion that man-
ufacturing cannot succeed in California is wrong.
Because of this, demand for manufacturing space is not necessarily
related to the number of jobs. As automation and high-tech machines
have been deployed, the same size facility now produces more with
fewer workers.
Figure 5: Annual Manufacturing Sector Employment and GDP as a Percentage
of 2001 Level, San Luis Obispo County, 2001 to 2017
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019, using QCEW employment data from the CA Employment Devel-
opment Data and GDP data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.
0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
250%200120032005200720092011201320152017GDP Employment
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Retail Analysis
This chapter analyzes the current market demand for retail building
space and assesses the potential for new and expanded retail busi-
nesses to absorb vacancies or support new development.
Taxable Retail Sales
Taxable retail sales provide the best measure of retail activity in a juris-
diction, even though these sales exclude groceries, prescriptions, and
personal services. To understand how sales are changing over time, it
is important to adjust the data for inflation—increases resulting solely
from inflationary price escalation do not really indicate an increase in
economic activity. It also helps to consider the level of sales per house-
hold, which allows comparisons across jurisdictions and which also in-
dicates whether sales increases result from more effective capturing of
residents’ consumer spending.
Figure 6 on page 14 shows the annual amount of taxable retail sales
per household for all of San Luis Obispo County and for each city within
the county. The data have been adjusted for inflation and reflect current
2019 dollar values.
All the jurisdictions experienced a sharp decline with the 2008–09 re-
cession. All the jurisdictions reached a low point in 2009, with the
exception of Arroyo Grande and Atascadero, which had low points in
2010. Since the low point, the percentage increase in retail sales
ranges from 5.0 percent in Morro Bay to 30.5 percent in Grover Beach.
In 2016, Atascadero’s inflation-adjusted taxable retail sales per house-
hold were 6.7 percent higher than the 2010 low but still 40.9 percent
lower than the prerecession high.
Atascadero’s share of unadjusted countywide taxable retail sales has
only declined slightly, from 8.3 percent in 2006 to 8.0 percent in
2016. However, the number of households in Atascadero increased
15.2 percent, double the countywide percentage increase in house-
holds and substantially higher than the second fastest growing jurisdic-
tion, Paso Robles, at 8.9 percent. This indicates that as the city has
grown over 10 years, it has become less effective at capturing its resi-
dents’ spending and increased its retail leakage.
Although this report is focused on market demand for retail develop-
ment, the increased leakage has fiscal effects, which the city is all too
aware of. Sales tax revenue, the second largest source of unrestricted
municipal revenue, has not kept pace with population growth. Whether
residential development is fiscally sustainable generally depends, in
large part, on how well a jurisdiction collects sales tax revenue from
new residents’ consumer spending.
Retail Analysis
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Figure 6: Inflation-Adjusted Taxable Retail Sales per Household (2019 dollars), San Luis Obispo County and Incorporated Jurisdictions, 2006 to 2016
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019, using sales data from the CA Board of Equalization, inflation data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and households data from the CA Department of Finance.
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
20062007200820092010201120122013201420152016San Luis Obispo County Arroyo Grande Atascadero Grover Beach
Morro Bay Paso Robles Pismo Beach San Luis Obispo
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Retail Types
The retail market can be categorized into two broad groups—conven-
ience goods and services and comparison goods. Table 1 describes the
conventional typology for retail centers, and the subsequent discussion
in this section further describes types of retail.
Convenience Goods and Services
Convenience goods and services are those that people need on a regular
basis. For these regular purchases, most consumers have built up
knowledge of where to go to get what they want, whether their discrim-
inator is price, convenience, or quality. Groceries, medicines, and hair
care are typical convenience goods and services. Because convenience
goods and services usually have low cost margins and high sales vol-
umes, convenience retailers are located throughout an area, close to
concentrations of households. Convenience goods retailers typically op-
erate in convenience‐goods centers (less than 30,000 sq. ft.) and
neighborhood‐scale centers (less than 100,000 sq. ft.), and they typi-
cally draw customers from a ½‐ to 1½‐mile radius. The Food 4 Less /
CVS center is an example of this kind of shopping.
Comparison Goods
Comparison goods are retail items that consumers purchase more in-
frequently or rarely. For these purchases, consumers tend to compare
goods across brands and across retailers. This habit of comparing in-
duces retailers to locate near each other. It also promotes larger‐scale
retailers who can stock many different brands of similar products. Cloth-
ing, electronics, and furniture are quintessential comparison goods. Be-
cause comparison goods have higher cost margins and lower sales vol-
umes and because consumers purchase these goods infrequently, com-
parison goods retailers tend to locate close to major transportation cor-
ridors that give access to a greater number of consumers. These busi-
nesses typically locate in community‐scale centers (100,000+ sq. ft.)
and regional‐scale centers (300,000+ sq. ft.), and they draw custom-
ers from a 3‐ to 5‐mile radius up to an 8‐ to 12‐mile radius, depending
on the center’s size and retailer mix. The Walmart Center previously
proposed for the Del Rio Specific Plan area is an example of this type
of shopping.
Table 1: Shopping Center Types
Shopping Center Type Building Size Range (sq.
ft.)
Shopping Center Trade
Area (radius in miles)
Convenience <30,000 ½
Neighborhood 30,000 – 100,000 1 ½
Community 100,000 – 450,000 3-5
Regional 300,000 – 900,000 8
Superregional 500,000 – 2 million 12
Source: Michael D. Beyard et.al., Shopping Center Development Handbook, 3rd ed.,
Washington D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 1999.
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Eating and Drinking Places
Eating and drinking places are a cross between convenience and com-
parison. Sometimes consumers are looking for convenience when buy-
ing food away from home. Fast food and limited service restaurants
typically satisfy this convenience demand. Other times, consumers are
looking for higher quality and are willing to travel longer distances and
pay more for the cuisine they desire.
Experience-Oriented Shopping
A third, hybrid type of retail is experience‐oriented shopping. In this type
of shopping, the experience of the trip is of equal if not greater im-
portance than the material need for a good or service. The experience’s
value may accrue from socialization with friends, activities and enter-
tainment, or the quality of the place. Downtowns, new town centers,
lifestyle centers, and even shopping malls all attempt to enhance the
shopping experience and provide a mix of businesses and amenities to
create an enjoyable shopping experience. Because most consumers in-
frequently invest their time in experiential shopping, most are willing to
travel further and forego quick and easy access for the value of the
experience. Experience‐oriented shopping is a destination trip and
draws from a community, regional, or even super‐regional size trade
area, even if it does not offer the commensurate amount of retail square
footage. Downtown Atascadero and Colony Square are examples of ex-
perience-oriented shopping.
Retail Market Analysis Basics
The following sections describe several specific terms used in retail mar-
ket analysis.
Trade Area
A trade area is the geographic area from which a retail center will draw
most of its customers. Sophisticated market-analysis models for indi-
vidual retailers often define primary, secondary, and even tertiary trade
areas. Several factors affect the size and boundaries of the trade area,
including the type of shopping center, location of competitive retail fa-
cilities, physical barriers, and visibility and access to major roads and
highways. Figure 7 shows the retail trade areas defined for this study.
For a market analysis supporting a development plan, the radial or
drive-time definition of a trade area usually suffices. Based on discus-
sions with local businesses and developers, this analysis uses a basic
5-minute drive time from downtown to define the convenience goods
trade area. This area is extended to an approximately 15-minute drive
time to the northeast and southwest to reflect the lack of retail busi-
nesses in these directions. Similarly, the comparison goods trade area
encompasses a 30-minute drive time to the northeast, and it is trun-
cated approximately halfway to Morro Bay to the southwest, halfway to
San Luis Obispo to the south, and truncated at Vineyard Drive / Tem-
pleton Road to the northwest.
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Figure 7: Convenience Goods and Comparison Goods Retail Trade Areas
Source: PlaceWorks, 2018, with Esri Business Analyst background map.
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Household Spending
The household is the basic economic unit in retail analysis. The Con-
sumer Expenditure Survey, published annually by the US Bureau of
Labor Statistics, details how households spend their annual income
stratified by income, age, geography, household size, and other demo-
graphic characteristics. Esri’s Business Analyst interprets that data for
individual locations based on the demographics and lifestyle character-
istics of the households residing in that area. Esri reports the data using
standard retail business categories from the North American Industrial
Classification System.
Estimated Retail Sales
The Esri spending report also estimates the amount of retail sales at
businesses operating in the trade area. The Esri estimates are based on
the US Census Bureau’s Economic Census and information obtained
from proprietary data sources, such as Dunn and Bradstreet and Info-
USA.
Sales Efficiency
Sales efficiency is the average annual sales per square foot of retail
businesses. Sales efficiency varies by store type, by individual business,
and between different locations of an individual retail chain. This report
estimates retail sales efficiency by type of store based on information
from Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers / The SCORE, published
by the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping
Centers; annual 10K reports filed by retail corporations with the US
Securities and Exchange Commission; and the US Census Bureau’s
Economic Census.
Calculating Retail Demand
Retail market potential is the difference between the amount of trade-
area household spending and the amount of trade-area retail business
sales. When trade area households spend more at a particular type of
retail store than those types of stores in the trade area take in, residents
are spending money outside of the trade area. This situation is often
referred to as retail spending leakage, or just leakage. In the opposite
situation, when a trade area’s retail businesses have more retail sales
than trade area households spend, the businesses are attracting cus-
tomers from beyond the trade area. In this situation, the difference be-
tween sales and spending is often referred to as the retail spending
capture.
Retail leakage and capture matter because it is usually easier to get a
trade area’s residents to shop closer to home than it is to attract more
customers from beyond the trade area. In economic development, most
retail business attraction efforts focus on the retail categories from which
a trade area leaks spending.
Dividing a trade area’s retail leakage by the average sales efficiency
determines the market demand—the amount of retail building space
that can be supported by trade area spending.
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Retail Market Demand
This section calculates the market demand for retail building space us-
ing the methodology described in the preceding sections. Table 2 on
page 21 summarizes total household spending and market demand in
the convenience trade area and the comparison trade area.
The first column provides data for the estimated annual amount of
spending by trade area households, regardless of where the store is
located. The second column provides data for difference between the
estimated sales by trade area retail businesses and the estimated trade
area household spending from the first column. A positive number rep-
resents retail spending leakage—trade area residents spend money out-
side of the trade area. A negative number represents retail spending
capture—trade area businesses attract customers and consumer spend-
ing from outside of the trade area.
The third data column shows the current market demand for retail
building space in square feet of gross floor area. A positive number in-
dicates the amount of additional retail building space that could be sup-
ported if trade area businesses captured the spending that currently
leaks out of the trade area. A negative number represents the estimated
amount of retail building space currently supported by spending from
consumers outside of the trade area. The fourth data column shows the
market demand increase for retail building space five years out. The
increase represents the effect of projected household growth.
Convenience Goods
The analysis finds that currently leaked convenience goods spending by
trade area households could absorb up to 51,000 square feet of cur-
rently vacant and/or new retail building space. With projected house-
hold growth over the next five years, that absorption could increase up
to a total of 81,700 square feet.
The analysis finds that the existing food and beverage stores, a category
which includes grocery stores and supermarkets, already attract con-
sumer spending from beyond the defined trade area and will still need
to attract outside spending even after five years of projected household
growth. When using the larger comparison goods trade area, the current
market demand for food and beverage stores would support 13,600
square feet, increasing to 25,400 in five years. Nevertheless, even this
demand is less than half the typical building space for a conventional
grocery store.
For the health and personal care stores category, the analysis finds that
trade area spending could support the absorption of up to 14,700
square feet of retail building space currently and up to 18,300 square
feet by 2023. This is a significant finding because a typical national
chain pharmacy is about 10,000 square feet in size. This category also
includes cosmetics, beauty supplies, perfume, optical goods, and food
and health supplement stores.
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The miscellaneous store retailers category includes office supplies, sta-
tionery, gift, novelty, souvenir, pet and pet supply, art dealer, and to-
bacco stores. The market could absorb up to 8,800 square feet of retail
building space currently and up to 14,000 square feet in five years.
More than half of the supportable building space for convenience goods
retail is for eating and drinking places. The analysis finds that trade area
spending could absorb up 38,700 square feet of building space cur-
rently, and that amount increases to 44,000 square feet by 2023 (if
the leaked spending from the comparison goods trade area were all
captured in Atascadero, the market demand would increase to 67,600
square feet currently and 75,100 in 2023). As discussed previously,
dining and entertainment are important components of experience-ori-
ented retail districts and centers. And this is a sizeable amount of sup-
portable space that could be spread through downtown and along El
Camino Real.
Comparison Goods
The analysis finds that existing building material stores and garden
equipment and supplies dealers currently attract consumer spending
from beyond the defined trade area. Household growth will eliminate
the deficit by 2023.
The analysis finds that current spending by trade area residents could
absorb up to 95,600 square feet of retail building space for furniture
and home furnishings stores and up to 35,600 square feet for electron-
ics and appliance stores. By 2023, trade area spending could absorb
up to a total of 102,700 and 38,600 square feet respectively.
For the sporting goods category, there are two subgroups not separated
out in Table 2. For sporting goods, hobby, and musical instrument
stores, the analysis finds that trade area spending could absorb up to
22,000 square feet of retail building space currently, increasing to a
total of 25,300 by 2023. For books, periodicals, and music stores, the
market could currently absorb up to 9,600 square feet, and up to a
total of 10,200 by 2023.
The market potential for furniture, home furnishing, electronics, appli-
ance, sporting goods, hobby, books, and music stores appears promis-
ing. However, many of the national retail chains in these lines of busi-
nesses operate small- and medium-box stores. Some of these national
chains are experiencing difficult times dealing with high levels of debt.
Many are currently trying to shrink their footprint by closing stores, and
some are focusing on online sales and delivery in lieu of expanding their
physical presence. This does not mean that the city would be unsuc-
cessful in marketing to these retailers, but it does mean that patience
and perseverance may be warranted.
The analysis finds that spending by trade area households on clothing
and clothing accessories could support the absorption of up 181,400
square feet of retail building space or 192,600 square feet by 2023.
This is not a surprising result. Clothing and clothing accessory stores
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Table 2: Retail Market Potential (square feet, gross floor area), 2018 and 2023
Trade Area
Consumer
Spending, 2018
($)
Trade Area Retail
Leakage/(Surplus),
2018
($)
Retail Building
Space Market
Support, 2018
(sq. ft.)
Retail Building
Space Market
Support, 2023
(sq. ft.)
Convenience Goods Trade Area
Food & Beverage Stores 71,823,100 (9,939,300) (9,800) (1,600)
Health & Personal Care Stores 31,618,100 5,985,500 14,700 18,300
Gasoline Stations 39,771,500 7,296,800 5,600 7,000
Miscellaneous Store Retailers 17,068,600 1,548,300 8,800 14,000
Total Food & Drink 46,917,200 15,627,600 38,700 44,000
Convenience Goods Total 207,198,500 20,518,900 58,000 81,700
Comparison Goods Trade Area
Furniture & Home Furnishings Stores 21,822,500 15,255,200 95,600 102,700
Electronics & Appliance Stores 21,596,200 12,504,400 35,600 38,600
Bldg Materials, Garden Equip. & Supply Stores 38,098,000 (1,512,800) (6,100) 1,000
Clothing & Clothing Accessories Stores 40,714,800 34,821,500 181,400 192,000
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book & Music Stores 18,268,400 7,003,300 31,500 35,500
General Merchandise Stores 97,248,300 70,378,700 192,900 206,000
Comparison Goods Total 237,748,200 138,450,300 530,900 575,800
Total Market Potential 588,900 657,500
Source: Source: PlaceWorks, 2017, using retail spending and estimated sales by store type and household data from Esri Business Analyst; square footage data
from Dollars & Cents of Shopping Centers®/The Score® 2008, Urban Land Institute; and retail sales and number of stores data from the US Census Bureau’s
2012 Economic Census.
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tend to agglomerate in and near regional shopping malls and regional
shopping destinations. Most cities without a regional mall leak a con-
siderable amount of retail spending in this category. Atascadero will
probably not close this gap. However, the magnitude of the leakage
suggests that quite a few small-scale or boutique clothing and clothing
accessory stores could be successful. And small-scale clothing and
clothing accessory stores are often located in experience-oriented shop-
ping districts and centers.
The final comparison goods category is general merchandise stores. The
analysis finds that trade area household spending in this category could
support the absorption of up to 192,900 square feet of retail building
space currently, or up to 206,000 square feet by 2023. One subcate-
gory is department stores, which include Target and Walmart. For this
subcategory, current consumer spending could support 135,300
square feet of retail building space, and up to 144,300 by 2023. A
standard Walmart store averages 107,000 square feet, and a super-
center averages 187,000 square feet. Thus, it is not surprising that
Walmart planned to open a store in Atascadero. However, going forward
it might be challenging to capture this leaked spending. Both Walmart
and Target are exploring ways to extend their reach with online ordering
and pickup, and Walmart has been successful lately at growing its
online sales. With stores in Paso Robles (a 10-minute drive) and San
Luis Obispo (a 20-minute drive), Target may perceive that it does not
need a store in Atascadero in order to capture spending by the city’s
residents. Walmart is in a similar situation, but its stores are slightly
farther away in Paso Robles (a 12-minute drive) and Arroyo Grande (a
33-minute drive).
Retail Implications
The bottom-line numbers—a current market potential for absorption of
up to 562,000 square feet of retail building space that could capture
up to $159 million in currently leaked retail spending—certainly
sounds promising. However, most of the market potential may not be
realized in Atascadero. As discussed above, the way the market poten-
tial is distributed across retail store categories means that there may not
be enough demand for a national chain retailer in some categories.
More importantly, though, the nature of retail is changing. Some na-
tional chains are saddled with debt that limits their expansion potential,
and many retailers, adjusting to the new realities, are hesitant to expand
into any but the most lucrative new markets.
Retail Business Development
Nevertheless, the retail leakage is substantial, and the city may well
have success in marketing Atascadero to national chains across many
of the retail categories. The city can continue investing in marketing
Atascadero at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) con-
ference and continue outreach to commercial brokers and developers.
The results of this market analysis can be folded into the city’s promo-
tional materials
At the same time, the magnitude of leaked spending can also be inter-
preted as providing a sound foundation for entrepreneurs interested in
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starting a retail business in Atascadero. The city can partner with the
Atascadero Chamber of Commerce and Cal Poly Center for Innovation
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to bring business manage-
ment and other business training programs to Atascadero. The SBDC
are experts in assisting new business with getting started and assisting
small businesses with becoming more profitable and expanding. Even
though the SBDC gets some outside funding, the city could still help
defray some of the costs. Perhaps the most important support the city
can offer is publicizing the services the SBDC offers and conducting
preliminary outreach to the city’s budding entrepreneurs and existing
small businesses.
Retail Building Space
One of the challenges the city faces—and the city is addressing this
challenge with the El Camino Plan—is the nature of the city’s commer-
cial building stock. The city has made real progress with downtown,
and there are several attractive and easily accessible shopping centers
throughout the city.
Nevertheless, El Camino Real is a long corridor. Much of the commer-
cial building space, retail and offices, is undifferentiated, with some
interspersed among residential and industrial uses. Furthermore, there
are many stand-alone commercial buildings, with an individual curb
cut and an isolated parking lot. In an earlier time, a good location was
one with visibility to traffic, a noticeable sign, and an easy turn-in for
the parking lot. However, as retail continues to change, these properties
will become less and less functional for retail businesses.
The challenges posed by the quality of some of the city’s commercial
building stock are evident in asking lease rates. The vast majority of
listed retail vacancies had asking lease rates under $16/sq. ft./year.
Although a more precise analysis will be prepared subsequent to this
study, lease rates would probably need to be in the mid to upper twen-
ties to support new development or significant reinvestment in retail
properties. As long as there are abundant vacancies with low lease
rates, developers will have a hard time attracting investment and fi-
nancing for new retail development, and property owners will have a
hard time repaying debt to substantially reinvest in their retail proper-
ties.
Some low-cost retail building space is healthy for a local economy, but
too much tends to drag down all lease rates and hinder new develop-
ment and property improvement, all of which can eventually lead to a
downward spiral and eventual disinvestment. To address this through
the El Camino Plan, the city can identify ways that owners who are
interested in transitioning their property to another use can do so easily.
As the subsequent sections of this report demonstrate, there is market
support for office and industrial uses in Atascadero. And there are
places along the corridor that may be better suited to an office or indus-
trial use rather than retail.
However, in some case, residential development may be the only viable
use. Residential with the right amount of density—more so than retail,
office, or industrial—can often command rents or sales values that
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make it affordable to buy an existing building, demolish it, and rede-
velop the site. While land generally has about the same intrinsic value,
property owners with buildings and existing tenants will want a sales
price that compensates them for the building and its current use. For
the new developer, though, that added cost is money thrown away—it
adds nothing to the final development, whether residential, office, or
industrial.
Through the El Camino Plan, the city can consider the circumstances
under which limited new residential development might be an accepta-
ble alternative to a poor retail site or functionally obsolete retail building.
For example, considerations may include situations in which the re-
moval of a building or relocation of a use adds value to adjacent retail
properties. Or residential may be acceptable when it is part of a vertical
mixed-use building. The most important value that residential uses pro-
vide in an experience-oriented mixed-use environment—it’s not addi-
tional retail spending; a few stories of residential will never turn a poor
retail location into a good retail location—is putting people on the street.
Those living in such residences are more likely to walk in the area. Even
if they spend little to no money, their presence walking around signifies
to visitors and passersby that this place is different, that it is alive, vi-
brant, and busy.
The city can also consider the circumstances under which new residen-
tial development is not acceptable. An obvious example would be in an
area where the city and property owners want to support industrial de-
velopment and new jobs. After all, zoning got its start as a tool to protect
homes from industry and vice versa.
Parking and Development Standards
Although inappropriate parking and development standards are an im-
portant consideration for all uses, they can easily make new retail de-
velopment financially infeasible. There is some awareness that provid-
ing enough parking spaces to easily handle the weekend before Christ-
mas and sizing roads for the 5-minute traffic load before the first bell
rings at school has resulted in considerably more harsh asphalt than is
really necessary. And of course, someone must pay to install and main-
tain those parking lots and wide roads.
The El Camino Plan provides an opportunity to reevaluate parking and
other development standards to determine if they are still appropriate.
This is especially critical for restaurants, which tend to have higher
parking ratios than other uses. It is also important for experience-ori-
ented shopping districts and centers, where a park-once strategy with
good pedestrian circulation can help spread the parking burden out
across several uses.
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Office and Industrial Analysis
This chapter provides an analysis of the regional and local economies,
provides projections for growth in office-based and in industrial employ-
ment, and quantifies the amount of office and industrial building space
needed to accommodate the projected employment growth.
Local Jobs and Commuting
Atascadero has relatively fewer jobs than most cities in the county. Fig-
ure 8 shows the number of jobs per household countywide and for each
city, averaged over three years. The city had 0.75 job per household,
more than Grover Beach and Morro Bay, but lower than every other city
and lower than the countywide rate of 1.0 job per household. However,
the city’s rate is an improvement over the 0.66 job per household ten
years ago, during 2003 to 2005.
As a result of fewer jobs, many of Atascadero’s residents commute else-
where for work. The map in Figure 9 shows where Atascadero’s resi-
dents work. In 2015, 76.8 percent of the city’s employed residents
commuted elsewhere, which is not much changed from the 2005 rate
of 75.3 percent. In 2015, 70.3 percent of Paso Roble’s employed res-
idents commuted elsewhere, and even in jobs-rich San Luis Obispo,
59.2 percent of employed residents worked elsewhere.
Figure 8: Number of jobs per Household, San Luis Obispo County and Cities,
Average for 2013 to 2015
Source: PlaceWorks, 2018, using employment data from the US Census Bureau’s Longitu-
dinal Employer-Household Dynamics program and household data from the CA Department
of Finance.
0.0 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8
San Luis Obispo County
Arroyo Grande
Atascadero
Grover Beach
Morro Bay
Paso Robles
Pismo Beach
San Luis Obispo
Office and Industrial Analysis
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Figure 9: Where Atascadero Residents Work
Note: Darker colors indicate increasing concentrations of jobs held by Atascadero residents.
Source: PlaceWorks, 2018, using data from the US Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics program
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Of the 8,715 jobs in Atascadero in 2015, 35.4 percent were held by
residents of the city. The remaining 64.6 percent, or 5,634 jobs, were
held by individuals who commuted into the city from elsewhere. In
comparison, 69.4 percent of jobs in Paso Robles and 75.9 percent of
the jobs in San Luis Obispo were held by in-commuters.
Employment Trends
The San Luis Obispo County economy generated employment growth
of 2.0 percent per year from 1990 to 2007, the peak prior to the 2008–
09 recession. Over the course of the recession, the number of jobs in
the county decreased 7.2 percent. In contrast, the national economy
experienced an overall job decline of 6.3 percent. From 2010 to 2018,
the county economy has generated employment growth at a rate of 2.7
percent per year, more than double the national rate of job growth, 1.5
percent per year. Countywide, employment exceeded the prerecession
peak in 2014.
Different sectors of the countywide economy have experienced different
rates of employment growth and were affected differently by the reces-
sion. Figure 10 shows the total number of jobs in each of six major
groups of economic sectors from 1990 to 2018.
The base goods group of sectors has had the highest rate of job growth
since the recession, 3.9 percent per year, and the second highest total
increase in jobs. This group of sectors includes: Agriculture, forestry,
fishing, and hunting; Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction;
Construction; and Manufacturing. The largest increase in jobs in this
Figure 10: Employment by Major Groups of Sectors, San Luis Obispo County,
1990 to 2018
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019, using employment data from the CA Employment Development
Department.
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
19901992199419961998200020022004200620082010201220142016Base Goods Base Services
Knowledge-Based Education and Health
Local-Serving
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group was in the construction sector, even though this sector has not
yet exceeded its prerecession high in employment.
The health and education group has had the second highest rate of job
growth since the recession, 3.47 percent per year, but it had the highest
total increase in jobs. This group also has had the highest rate of job
growth since 1990. This group of sectors includes: Educational services
(excluding state universities and colleges); and Health care and social
assistance. Almost 80 percent of the job growth in this group came
from the health care and social assistance sector.
The base services group of sectors has had a rate of job growth equal
to the rate of total job growth across the county since the recession, 2.7
percent per year. This group of sectors includes: Utilities; Wholesale
trade; Transportation and warehousing; and Administrative and support
and waste management and remediation services.
The knowledge-based group of sectors had the second lowest rate of
job growth since the recession, 2.6 percent per year, and it produced
the lowest number of new jobs. This group of sectors includes: Infor-
mation; Finance and insurance; Professional, scientific, and technical
services; and Management of companies and enterprises. Among these
sectors, the Professional, scientific and technical services sectors had
the highest rate of growth and accounted for almost 90 percent of the
group’s number of new jobs. The finance and insurance sector and the
management of companies and enterprises sector actually have fewer
jobs now than they had at the end of the recession.
The local serving group of sectors has had the lowest rate of job growth
since the recession, 2.1 percent per year, but it has generated the most
new jobs. However, the low rate of growth results from this sector hav-
ing so many jobs to begin with. This group accounts for 42 percent of
the total number of jobs and it accounted for one-third of all job growth
since the end of the recession. This group of sectors includes: Retail
trade; Real estate and rental and leasing; Arts, entertainment, and rec-
reation; Accommodation and food services; Other services (except Pub-
lic administration); and Public administration. Retail trade accounts for
12.3 percent of all jobs countywide, and accommodation and food ser-
vices accounts for 15.1 percent of all jobs.
Regional Employment
Projection
This analysis generally assumes that employment in each sector would
increase over the next five years at the same rate as over the past five
years. For three sectors, however, employment change over the past
five years has been dramatically different than the longer-term trend.
For these three sectors—construction; administrative and support and
waste management and remediation services; and accommodation and
food services—the analysis uses the longer-term rate of change. Table
3 provides the projected change in employment and the projected an-
nual rate of change for each sector and for each group of sectors. Over-
all, the analysis projects that countywide employment would increase
by 11.366 jobs, or about 2.1 percent per year.
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Table 3: Five-Year Projected Employment Change by Economic Sector, San
Luis Obispo County, 2019 to 2024
Group/Sector
5-Year
Change in
Employment
Annual Rate
of Change
Goods Producing 3,393 3.2%
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 846 3.2%
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction -10 -2.5%
Construction 1,289 3.3%
Manufacturing 1,268 3.2%
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities 497 1.3%
Utilities 24 2.4%
Wholesale Trade -2 0.0%
Transportation and Warehousing 52 1.7%
Administrative & Support & Waste Services 423 2.0%
Knowledge-Based 1,617 3.0%
Information 14 0.2%
Finance and Insurance -34 -0.3%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 1,589 4.9%
Management of Companies and Enterprises 47 1.5%
Education and Health 2,947 2.7%
Educational Services 680 3.0%
Health Care and Social Assistance 2,267 2.6%
Table 3 continued
Group/Sector
5-Year
Change in
Employment
Annual Rate
of Change
Local-Serving 2,912 1.2%
Retail Trade 589 0.8%
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing -173 -2.4%
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 103 1.4%
Accommodation and Food Services 2,375 2.7%
Other Services (except Public Administration) -698 -4.1%
Public Administration 717 1.7%
Total 11,366 2.1%
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019.
The projected regional growth in employment in various sectors drives
the demand for office and industrial development presented in the fol-
lowing sections. It also provides the basis for estimating demand for
lodging and entertainment in the next chapter.
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Office Demand
Office-Based Businesses
Office-based businesses are primarily part of four economic sectors—
Information; Finance and insurance; Professional, scientific, and tech-
nical services; and Management of companies and enterprises. Firms
in the Finance and insurance sector sometimes operate in commercial
retail buildings and centers and sometimes in office buildings. For pro-
jecting office demand, the analysis assumes that half of the Finance
and insurance employment occurs in office buildings.
General office building space refers to stand-alone buildings consisting
entirely, or almost entirely, of offices. In more urban settings, office
buildings may have ground-floor retail sales and services businesses.
However, for new construction in a suburban setting, office uses gen-
erally do not generate sufficient rent to cover new construction and to
subsidize the ground-floor retail space. Nevertheless, such mixed-use
buildings are not precluded by this analysis; they likely would not be
part of new office development in Atascadero in the near-term but could
be part of the refurbishment or reuse of existing buildings.
Flex space refers to a type of light industrial building that can be con-
figured for either office or light industrial uses to suit the need of each
tenant. Flex space buildings tend to use less expensive construction and
thus accommodate lower lease rates. However, not all office-based
businesses want to operate in a more industrial setting where there
could be noise or other externalities.
Medical office is considered a specialized subset of office building
space. Demand for medical office space is driven by increases in phy-
sicians, dentists, therapists, other medical professionals, and mental
and behavioral health practices. Medical office also includes clinics,
labs, and other outpatient facilities. These are all subsectors in the
health care and social assistance sector.
Office-Based Employment
In 2013, Atascadero accounted for 6.5 percent of the countywide of-
fice-based employment (compared to the city’s 8.5 percent share of all
jobs). Over the next five years, office-based employment in the city in-
creased by a fraction of a percentage point, and the city’s share of
countywide office jobs declined to 5.5 percent. If this trend continues,
there would be no market demand to build new office space.
Countywide, there has been strong growth in the office-based economic
sectors, with employment increasing 3.2 percent per year over the last
five years and the number of firms increasing by 1.5 percent per year.
In interviews conducted as part of this study, developers and other
stakeholders indicated that there is a growing interest in developing new
office space in Atascadero, in part because the City is increasingly
viewed favorably relative to San Luis Obispo. Atascadero is seen as
business friendly and less complicated for new development. In addi-
tion, low vacancies, higher lease rates, and a lack of land available and
ready for office development constrain the ability of the market to satisfy
countywide office demand in San Luis Obispo.
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The analysis assumes that Atascadero could increase the portion of new
office-based businesses locating in the City to 33 percent and that the
portion of the remaining countywide office-based employment growth
occurring in the City would equal the City’s share of countywide resi-
dents working in office-based economic sectors, 11.0 percent. Overall,
the City would account for 21.3 percent of countywide office-based
employment growth over the next five years under these assumptions.
Market Potential
Table 4 shows the five-year projected market potential for office building
space absorption in Atascadero. If present trends continue, office-based
employment in San Luis Obispo County could increase by 3,030 jobs
over the next five years. The target for Atascadero’s share of new count-
ywide office-based jobs is 21.3 percent, or 650 new office jobs in the
city over five years. Assuming the average office-based business occu-
pies about 300 square feet of building space per employee, the city
would need 195,000 square feet of office building space.
At a typical suburban development intensity floor-to-area ratio of 0.25,
about 18 acres of land would be needed to accommodate the office
building space. It is also possible that new office development would
be multistory, in which case somewhat less land area would be re-
quired.
Office Implications
Based on interviews conducted for this market study, it appears that
there are office-based businesses that want to open offices in the county
and existing office-based business that want to expand. In many cases
these businesses want to capitalize on new college graduates. However,
the lack of office space, leasing costs, and lengthy time to entitle and
build new offices hamper new and expanding office-based businesses
in the City of San Luis Obispo. Atascadero can be an attractive alterna-
tive.
The city does not have a track record for significant new office develop-
ment, so this is a case of making a market. Bringing in the first new big
investment in office development will be a challenge. Through the El
Camino Plan, the city may want to consider a variety of alternatives for
office development so that the door will be open when the investment
is ready.
Table 4: Office Market Potential, Atascadero, 2019 to 2024
5-Year countywide office job growth 3,030
City's target share of job growth 21.3%
5-Year city office job growth 650
Typical square footage per employee 300
Office building space market potential (GFA sq. ft.) 195,000
Land area required at 0.25 FAR (acres) 17.9
Source: PlaceWorks, 2019.
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For many years, office-based businesses have focused efforts to attract
and retain skilled and educated employees internally—e.g., via flexibil-
ity, collaborative work environments, more self-directed work. More re-
cently, attention has started to turn externally, to the quality of the place
in which the office is located—easily walkable to lunch and after work
entertainment, alternatives to driving to work, proximity to affordable
housing. These benefits of place, while attractive to employees of all
ages, are increasingly important to younger workers. In Atascadero, this
could translate into developable locations within a 10-minute walk to
downtown. There is also an opportunity to plan walkable, mixed-use
employment districts along the corridor.
At the same time, the stand-alone office building and office campus are
tried and true approaches to office development. This is what many
office developers know and what decision makers at many office-based
businesses know. These types of office development tend to cost less
to develop and therefore less to occupy. Through the El Camino Plan,
the city may want to consider suitable locations for conventional office
development.
The city may also wish to consider a variety of locations for different
types of office development. The 18 acres specified in Table 4 is a goal
for actual development. The plan can and probably should identify more
acreage for potential office development to increase the likelihood that
there will be a property owner ready to sell when an office-based busi-
ness is ready to invest in a location in Atascadero.
Medical Office
Medical office is a subset of the general office market. Atascadero ac-
counts for 18.7 percent of countywide employment in the health care
and social services sector, due in large part to Atascadero State Hospi-
tal. However, the city’s share of countywide employment at medical
office businesses is slightly less than its share of total countywide em-
ployment. Furthermore, growth in this subsector has been a fraction of
a percentage point, compared a growth rate of 4.3 percent per year,
countywide, over the past ten years.
If the city is satisfied with the pace of growth of medical office busi-
nesses, and growth continues as it has in the past, the growth could be
expected to absorb about 6,000 square feet of medical office building
space over the next five years.
If the city desires to attract more medical office businesses and more
investment in medical offices, then there is market potential for more
medical offices. Following the approach to general office building space,
the analysis assumes that the county adds a similar number of medical
office jobs over the next five years and that the share of those new jobs
locating in Atascadero is similar to the city’s share of medical office
employment. Under these assumptions, the market could absorb up to
42,000 square feet of medical office building space.
Medical offices do not gain value by locating in walkable or mixed-use
environments, and they may not contribute to placemaking in areas that
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the El Camino Plan identifies for enhancements or improvements. How-
ever, medical offices could add value to the corridor by providing an
alternative use for property owners who want to transition properties
with poor or obsolete commercial development.
Industrial Demand
Industrial Businesses
Market demand for industrial development is typically driven by growth
in the manufacturing, wholesale trade, and warehousing and distribu-
tion sectors. In addition, some growth in the construction sector occurs
in industrial areas. However, the study areas for the El Camino Plan are
not well suited for large distribution facilities. This analysis focuses on
the industrial market potential from growth only in the manufacturing
sector.
Industrial Employment
From 2008 to 2013, manufacturing employment in San Luis Obispo
County grew at a rate of 1.9 percent per year. From 2013 to 2018, the
growth rate increased to 3.2 percent per year, and the number of man-
ufacturing forms increased by 3.2 percent per year. In comparison, over
the last five years, manufacturing employment statewide increased at a
rate of 1.0 percent per year. In Atascadero, the manufacturing sector
has been relatively stagnant over the past five and ten years. If this trend
continues, there might be no demand for additional manufacturing fa-
cilities in the city.
As with office development, Atascadero is increasing viewed favorably
by manufacturing businesses and developers. This outlook and the
availability of land for development suggest that Atascadero will attract
an increasing share of countywide industrial development and manu-
facturing employment growth. The analysis assumes that Atascadero
could attract 25 percent of the countywide manufacturing growth.
Market Potential
Table 5 provides the five-year projected market potential for industrial
building space absorption in Atascadero. If present trends continue,
manufacturing employment in San Luis Obispo County could increase
by 1,270 jobs over the next five years. The target for Atascadero’s share
of new countywide manufacturing jobs is 25 percent, or 320 new man-
ufacturing jobs in the city over five years. Assuming the average manu-
facturing facility contains about 750 square feet of building space per
employee, the city would need 237,700 square feet of office building
space. At a typical development intensity floor-to-area ratio of 0.25,
about 22 acres of land would be needed to accommodate the industrial
building space.
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Industrial Implications
As with office demand, Atascadero can be an attractive alternative to
the city of San Luis Obispo, where a dearth of available land and facil-
ities and lengthy entitlement processing limit the ability of existing in-
dustrial businesses to expand and discourage new industrial busi-
nesses.
Ideally, if the city wants to promote industrial development, it should
identify one or two potential sites that could accommodate a 100,000-
to 150,000-square-foot facility. But smaller sites are important too. Of
the 431 manufacturing businesses countywide, 66 percent have only
1 to 9 employees, and another 28 percent have 10 to 49 employees.
Manufacturing includes a wide gamut of activities and products. Some
are large scale and may have negative externalities, such as noise or
heavy truck traffic. These uses do need to be separated from other uses.
No one wants to live next door to a metal stamping plant. And large
trucks delivering goods to an industrial facility do not need to compete
with a parent rushing to pick their child up before day care closes.
Others manufacturing uses, however, may be compatible with office,
research and design, and possibly even retail uses. With the advent of
3D printers, new types of small-scale manufacturing businesses may
evolve that are compatible with a wide variety of neighbors.
It is common with manufacturing businesses that time is of the essence
when moving into a new facility. Businesses invest time and money
developing a new product or landing a new contract, and they need to
ramp up production quickly. Often, the jurisdiction that can move the
fastest receives the investment in a new industrial facility and receives
the new jobs. Planning in advance and streamlining regulations and
entitlement processes should be seen as economic development tools.
Table 5: Industrial Market Potential, Atascadero, 2019 to 2024
5-Year countywide manufacturing job growth 1,270
City's target share of job growth 25%
5-Year city manufacturing job growth 320
Typical square footage per employee 750
Industrial building space market potential (GFA sq. ft.) 237,700
Land area required at 0.25 FAR (acres) 21.8
Source: PlaceWorks, 2018.
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Lodging and Entertainment
This final chapter provides an overview of the market potential for lodg-
ing facilities and entertainment businesses and the role these uses
could play in supporting retail uses and employment generating uses
along the corridor.
Lodging
Generally, lodging serves business travelers and leisure travelers. With
the Pacific coastline, vineyards, and other attractions, tourism and lei-
sure travel are important components of the countywide economy. With
over 30 percent of countywide jobs, the City of San Luis Obispo should
be expected to serve the largest number of business travelers.
Employment in the lodging sector in Atascadero had a much larger de-
cline with the recession than the decline in the sector’s employment
countywide. Nearly half of the countywide employment decline in lodg-
ing from 2008 to 2013 occurred in Atascadero. However, from 2013
to 2018, employment in the lodging sector in Atascadero bounced
back, growing at an annual rate three-and-a-half times greater than the
countywide growth rate. With this growth, employment in the lodging
sector in Atascadero was slightly higher, as a percentage of countywide
lodging employment, as it was prior to the recession.
Nevertheless, the number of lodging employees per 1,000 residents in
Atascadero is less than half the number statewide (and a quarter of the
countywide rate). The difference between the number of employees per
capita in Atascadero and statewide suggests that there is potential for
the number of lodging establishments to continue increase in the City.
If growth in lodging employment in the City increased at the same rate
as it has over the past five years, there could be two to three new hotels
over the next five years and a total of eight hotels over ten years. How-
ever, to the degree that the recent hotel growth represents a bounce
back from the recession, future growth may be somewhat slower. The
analysis assumes that future lodging employment growth in Atascadero
would be at the average rate of the City’s five-year growth rate and the
somewhat lower countywide five-year growth rate. With this assump-
tion, there would be a total of five new hotels over the next ten years.
In order to ensure that land is available when market conditions warrant
investment in new hotels, the City should over plan. Thus, citywide
planning should ensure that there are locations that could accommo-
date-date eight new hotels, although the City should only expect the
development of five new hotels.
Entertainment
A destination shopping center or district needs to have more than just
retail stores. As e-commerce takes a greater share of retail, the tradi-
tional shopping center is looking less and less appealing to shoppers. If
buying everyday items is so easy and convenient on Amazon, why
Lodging and Entertainment
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should consumers go out of their way and deal with traffic and crowds
to make a purchase?
Retail must now be an experience, and a shopping trip should be an
enjoyable social outing. To make shopping a pleasant experience, shop-
ping centers are adding entertainment, dining, and other uses that act
as complementary uses to what is already on the ground.
Some uses are not necessarily complementary—for example, a pool in
a mall sounds like a fun idea, but most people do not transition from
splashing in the sun to perusing a clothing shop very easily.
Some of the more common experience-oriented entertainment uses in-
clude:
+ Movie Theaters
Movie theaters are a quick, easy answer for entertainment in a down-
town or retail center, and downtown Atascadero has a movie theater.
However, movie theaters are declining in relevance as more and more
movies and entertainment options are available on the internet, often in
a more comfortable environment. Many theaters are responding by add-
ing increased dining options and comfier seating in theaters. In addi-
tion, theaters, like retail, are trying to add a community element to
movie going—movie premiers and special screenings make the theater
experience about more than just the movie.
+ Comedy Club
Comedy clubs draw people from a large geographic area, and these
patrons make a night of it. While visiting for a show, customers will
likely eat and drink, and possibly shop, in the surrounding area. Often-
times, a comedy club is a weekly special attraction at a bar or restau-
rant.
+ Bowling Alley
Over the last 20 years, bowling alleys have gone from the blue-collar
country club with weekly league nights to family-oriented entertainment
centers with good food, disco lights, and birthday parties. This is an
appealing idea for a family-oriented downtown or retail area.
However, bowling alleys require a large investment and a lot of land.
Revenue is often estimated at $40 to $60 per square foot annually. If
forced to pay the same rent as other land uses, a bowling alley would
likely not be able to compete with higher revenue uses like retail and
dining.
+ Fitness Centers
One out of every five Americans belongs to a gym, and the average gym
member visits their club over 100 times a year. People who work out
in groups and in classes often form social networks.
The study area already includes a variety of fitness centers. The El
Camino Plan should consider ways to concentrate experience-oriented
districts in areas with clusters of existing fitness centers.
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+ Entertainment in Retail
Retail shops themselves are trying to figure out how to appeal to the
experience-oriented nature of the current consumer. This means offer-
ing things that an online retailer may not offer.
Lululemon offers yoga classes, Michaels offers crafting classes, and Wil-
liams-Sonoma offers cooking classes. Coffee shops may offer events like
open-mic nights or book readings, and restaurants host fundraising
nights. These events are already part of the retail landscape, and what
is important is to emphasize them and their importance for building a
tight-knit and well-rounded community.
+ Parks and Recreation
While these uses alone don’t often generate revenue, recreational and
public spaces help build the community and transform corridor areas
to be places people want to visit. Community events, organizations, and
families need places to gather. Public parks and plazas, if pleasant and
enjoyable to visit, can bring people out from their homes.
Events, decorations, and art installations help remind people that the
area is alive and vibrant. If shopping centers and districts have the rep-
utation for having something “going on,” they will get more traffic and
could bring consumers from a larger trade area.
Weekly farmers market, quarterly sidewalk art show, or summer concert
series foster community and work as a marketing tool. As with many
other considerations for the study area, the City will have to strike a
balance between activities in the study area and activities in downtown
and other neighborhoods and districts.
Entertainment Market Potential
The arts, entertainment, and recreation sector of the economy accounts
for about twice as many jobs in Atascadero as in the county as a whole.
However, employment in this sector in Atascadero is almost exclusively
in fitness centers, whereas countywide employment in this sector is
somewhat less concentrated in fitness centers and golf courses. Based
on statewide employment data and the number of households, the anal-
ysis finds that currently there is potential market demand for up to 12
additional businesses in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector,
excluding fitness centers and golf courses.
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 4
Page 122 of 139
Page A-38 Project Name | Report Title
Orange County • Northern California • Los Angeles • Inland Empire • San Diego
3 MacArthur Place | Santa Ana CA 92707 | 714.966.9220 | www.placeworks.com
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 4
Page 123 of 139
!!!!!
!
!!
!
!!±0 0.15 0.30.075 Miles
0 0.2 0.40.1 Miles
Collision Density along El Camino Real
Information gathered from the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) for recent ten year period
El Camino Real between Madera Place and San Anselmo Road
El Camino Real between State Route 41 and San Gabriel Road
Legend
# of Collisions
!1
!2
!3 - 4
!5-7
!8 - 12±ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 5
Page 124 of 139
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
07/11/19
5
Draft Existing Traffic Conditions
Study Area
The study area consists of two disconnected segments of El Camino Real on either side of downtown
Atascadero, which is being evaluated in a separate study. The northern segment is 1.2 miles long and
extends from San Anselmo Road to approximately 200’ north of the intersection of El Camino Real and
Madera Place. The southern segment is 1.9 miles long, extending from San Gabriel Road to State Route
(SR) 41.
There are 26 public street intersections throughout the study area, of which eight are controlled by a
traffic signal, as indicated below:
San Gabriel Road
El Bordo Avenue
Montecito Avenue
Santa Rosa Road (signalized)
Principal Avenue
Gusta Road
La Lina Avenue
Solano Road
Plata La/Cascada Road
Arcade Road
Palomar Avenue (signalized)
Junipero Avenue (signalized)
Curbaril Avenue (signalized)
Pueblo Avenue
Plaza del Camino (Vons) shopping center
(signalized)
SR 41 (signalized)
San Anselmo (West)(signalized)
Valdez Avenue
San Anselmo Rd (East)(signalized)
Campbell Lane
Maya Lane
Marco Lane
La Uva Lane
San Benito Road
Madera Place (south)
Madera Place (north)
Related Studies
State Route 41 Corridor Study – A study completed in 2018 to develop plans for designing SR 41 to
enhance bicycle and pedestrian access and safety between downtown Atascadero and Atascadero Lake
Park/Charles Paddock Zoo. The current development pattern is very much a patchwork, as there is 100
feet of public right-of-way available, but the roadway is only three lanes wide in most of the project
area. Due to the challenges of navigating the El Camino Real/SR 41 intersection, a plan for bike lanes and
sidewalk improvements along Atascadero Avenue was included in the plan. Caltrans plans to implement
buffered bike lanes along SR 41 in 2019. The City has applied for funding from the Active Transportation
Program for the Atascadero Avenue portion of the project. This application is pending.
US101 Interchange Study – Completed in 2007, a study and conceptual designs were prepared for
roundabouts at five interchanges in Atascadero – Santa Barbara Road/San Antonio Road, Santa Rosa
Road, Curbaril Avenue, Traffic Way/Ardilla Road, and San Anselmo Road. The project was initiated as a
result of concerns about queuing between the US 101 off-ramps and El Camino Real, as the two routes
are in close proximity to one another. A roundabout was subsequently designed for the Del Rio/US 101
interchange as a traffic mitigation for the proposed Walmart near the El Camino Real/Del Rio
intersection. However, this is not being implemented since the project is not moving forward.
Page 125 of 139
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
07/11/19
5
City of Atascadero Bicycle Transportation Plan – This city’s bicycle plan was adopted in 2010 and
includes a set of existing recommended bikeway projects, including bike lanes along El Camino Real and
several intersecting streets.
Existing Corridor Conditions
Northern Segment – San Anselmo Road to north of Madera Place
The northern segment of the project is 1.2 miles long. For the purposes of providing an overview of the
corridor, the segment was divided into two smaller segments based on their respective characteristics.
San Anselmo Road to north of Marco Place
This segment is 2700’ long, with two travel lanes in each direction and a two-way left turn lane. Curb
and gutter is present along portions of this segment. The roadway narrows to one lane in each direction
at the northern end of the segment. There is a posted speed of 45 mph.
Pedestrian Facilities
There are continuous sidewalks on the west side of the street throughout this segment. Along the east
side, there are no sidewalks along the northern 850’ of the segment. The only locations with marked
crosswalks across El Camino Real are the intersections at the eastern and western sections of San
Anselmo Road.
El Camino Real near San Anselmo Road facing northbound
Bicycle Facilities
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DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
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5
While bike lanes are clearly marked at some locations, in some places the pavement markings are either
not present or are faded and not clearly visible. Shoulders are variable in width. Bike lanes are proposed
along both the eastern and western portions of San Anselmo Road, which intersects El Camino Real.
There is no designated bike parking within the public right-of-way. For bicycle parking, bicyclists park
their bikes at bike racks on private property or locked to various street furniture such as sign poles.
On-Street Parking
On-street parking is generally available throughout the segment, the major exceptions being a red-
curbed section in the southbound direction north of San Anselmo Road and a section in the northbound
direction, where the shoulder is narrow and parking is prohibited. Land uses are typically set back from
the roadway and have off-street parking, so on-street parking use is relatively light.
North of Marco Place to North of Madera Place
This segment is 3500’ long with one travel lane in each direction. The pavement is approximately 50 feet
in width and the parking lane/shoulder on the west side of the road is as wide as 25 feet. Curb and
gutter is present along portions of this segment. The posted speed is 45 mph.
Pedestrian Facilities
Sidewalks are inconsistent along this segment. Approximately 70% of the segment has sidewalks along
on one side, and 30% has no sidewalks at all. There are shoulders of varying widths that can be used by
pedestrians where sidewalks are not available. There are no controlled crossings or marked crosswalks
in this section.
Bicycle Facilities
Similar to the adjacent segment, there are paved shoulders of inconsistent width and the bike lane
pavement markings are not present or are faded at some locations. For bicycle parking, bicyclists park
their bikes at bike racks on private property or locked to various street furniture such as sign poles.
On-Street Parking
On-street parking is generally permitted throughout the segment. Where there are shoulders without
curb and gutter, the edge of the shoulder is often not clearly delineated, so vehicles parking on the
shoulders may interfere with bicyclists and pedestrians. Most of the land uses are set back significantly
from the roadway and off-street parking is generally available, so on-street parking is lightly used.
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El Camino Real near Marco Lane facing northbound
El Camino North of San Benito Road Northbound
Southern Segment – San Gabriel Road to SR 41
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ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
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San Gabriel Road to Curbaril Road
El Camino Real from San Gabriel Road to Curbaril Avenue is the southernmost portion of the study
corridor. Santa Rosa Road and Curbaril Avenue are the only cross streets in this segment that cross US
101, and both have interchanges that provide access routes into and out of Atascadero. The curb-to-
curb width is 80 feet and there are four travel lanes (two northbound and two southbound) and a two-
way left turn lane. The posted speed is 40 mph. There are sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. There
is on-street parking throughout the segment, but it is lightly used as most land uses have a sufficient
supply of off-street parking available.
Pedestrian Facilities
Throughout the segment, there are continuous sidewalks, which are approximately 10 feet wide.
Sidewalks narrow to approximately 5 feet in width along two segments on the east side of El Camino
Real, a 300-foot segment in front of the Taco Roco restaurant extending north from Junipero Avenue
and a 230-foot segment extending north from Principal Avenue. Despite the continuous sidewalks,
pedestrian access can be challenging due to the cross traffic from numerous driveways throughout this
segment.
There are marked crosswalks at the signalized intersections of El Camino with Santa Rosa Road, Palomar
Avenue, Junipero Avenue, and Curbaril Avenue. The uncontrolled crossing at El Bordo Avenue includes a
striped pedestrian refuge, yield to pedestrian signs, pedestrian beacons, and advanced yield pavement
markings to encourage motorists to yield to pedestrians in advance of the crosswalk.
Bicycle Facilities
There are bike lanes along El Camino Real throughout this segment. There are proposed bike lanes along
Santa Rosa Road, El Bordo Avenue, and Curbaril Avenue, which all intersect with El Camino Real. There is
no designated bike parking within the public right-of-way. Bicyclists park their bikes at bike racks on
private property or locked to various street furniture such as sign poles.
On-Street Parking
On-street parking is available throughout the segment, although reduced by the number of driveways as
well as red-curbed sections, particularly in the vicinity of the Palomar Avenue intersection. On-street
parking is lightly used, as most businesses are well-equipped with off-street parking lots.
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ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
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El Camino Real near El Bordo Avenue facing southbound view.
Curbaril Avenue to SR 41
The segment from Curbaril Avenue to SR 41 is 0.8 miles long, with two travel lanes in each direction and
a two-way left turn lane. The segment has a curb-to-curb width of 80 feet and a posted speed limit of 35
mph. On-street parking is generally available along El Camino Real between San Gabriel Road and SR 41.
As the parking is unstriped, and there are a significant number of driveways throughout the corridor, it
does not allow for an accurate parking supply count.
Pedestrian Facilities
Sidewalks are continuous throughout this segment. There are marked crosswalks at the intersections of
El Camino Real with Curbaril Avenue, the Plaza del Camino Shopping Center/US 101 northbound ramps,
and SR 41.
Bicycle Facilities
There are bike lanes along El Camino Real throughout this segment. As noted above, there are proposed
bike lanes along Curbaril Avenue. There is no designated bike parking within the public right-of-way.
Bicyclists park their bikes at bike racks on private property or locked to various street furniture such as
sign poles.
On-Street Parking
On-street parking is available throughout the segment, although reduced by the number of driveways as
well as red-curbed sections. On-street parking use is relatively light, as most businesses are well-
equipped with off-street parking lots.
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ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
07/11/19
5
Transit Facilities
El Camino Real is served by Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Route 9, which provides fixed route service
through Atascadero as part of its route between Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. This service operates
from 6:30-8:00 weekdays with approximately 1-hour headways. There are only 5 buses on Saturday and
3 buses on Sunday.
There are six bus stops in the northern project segment and 10 bus stops in the southern segment. In
the northern segment of the project, bus stops are located at the intersection with San Anselmo Road
(northbound and southbound), Kennedy Club (north of Maya Lane, northbound and southbound), and
San Benito Road (northbound and southbound). In the southern segment, bus stops are located at El
Bordo Avenue (northbound and southbound), Solano Avenue (northbound), Plata Lane (southbound),
Principal Avenue (northbound), Palomar Avenue (northbound), Pueblo Avenue (northbound and
southbound), the El Camino car wash (southbound, near SR 41), and the Vons Center (northbound).
Atascadero Transit is a door-to-door “dial-a-ride” service that is available for those who are unable to
independently use the transit system due to a physical or mental disability.
El Camino Real near Pueblo Avenue facing southbound
Existing Intersection Levels of Service Conditions
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ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
07/11/19
5
The Existing Conditions scenario provides an evaluation of current operation based on existing traffic
volumes during the a.m. and p.m. peak periods. This condition does not include project-generated traffic
volumes. Volume data was collected on November 8, 2018 while local schools were still in session.
Under existing conditions, all intersections are operating acceptably at LOS D or better during both peak
periods. A summary of the intersection level of service calculations is contained in Table 1.
Future Intersection Levels of Service Conditions
Segment volumes for the horizon year of 2035 were obtained from the City’s gravity demand model and
translated to turning movement volumes at each of the study intersections using the “Furness” method.
The Furness method is an iterative process that employs existing turn movement data, existing link
volumes and future link volumes to project likely turning future movement volumes at intersections.
Under the anticipated Future volumes, the study intersections are expected to continue operating
acceptably at LOS D or better during both peak periods except for the intersection of El Camino Real/San
Anselmo Road, which would deteriorate to LOS E and F operation in the a.m. and p.m. peak hours,
respectively. Future operating conditions are summarized in Table 2.
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ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE:
ATTACHMENT:
07/11/19
5
Collision History and Safety Conditions
The collision history for the study area was reviewed to determine any trends or patterns that may
indicate a safety issue. Collision records for the study intersection were obtained from the California
Highway Patrol as published in their Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reports.1 The
most current five-year period available for the study intersections is February 2013 through January
2018.
As presented in Table 33, the calculated collision rates for the study intersections were compared to
average collision rates for similar facilities statewide, as indicated in 2010 Collision Data on California
State Highways, Caltrans.
1 Caltrans recommends that State highway collision records be obtained from the Traffic Accident Surveillance and Analysis
System (TASAS) report rather than SWITRS. For the purposes of this planning analysis, SWITRS does provide an indication of
safety issues.
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DATE:
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The calculated collision rates are higher than the statewide average for similar facilities for all five study
intersections; however, the calculated injury rates were lower than the statewide averages.
Collision data for the most recent ten-year period was obtained for the segments of El Camino Real
between Madera Place and San Anselmo Road and between SR 41 and San Gabriel Road from the
Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS). These records only include collisions that involved injuries
or fatalities. A map showing the locations of these collisions is included. The northern segment of El
Camino Real experienced 18 collisions over the ten-year period with seven of these collisions occurring
near the intersection with northern San Anselmo Road. Eight remaining collisions occurred along the
northern half of the segment. El Camino Real between SR 41 and San Gabriel Road experienced 84
collisions distributed along the entire length of the corridor. The locations with the highest number of
crashes include El Camino Real near Curbaril Avenue and near El Bordo Avenue.
Page 134 of 139
UV
101
!(
1
!(
2
Project Boundary
Opportunity Sites
1. Tech Jobs
2. Commercial Office, High Density Housing
0 200 400 600 800100
Feet
Date: 1/4/2019
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 6
Page 135 of 139
UV
41
UV
101
!(
3
!(
4
Project Boundary
Opportunity Sites
3. Intensify Commercial
4. Jobs, Mixed Use/Housing, Some Retail
0 200 400 600 800100
Feet
Date: 1/4/2019
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 6
Page 136 of 139
0
1”=100’ Scale 2019-02-20
100 200 400
SITE AREA: 17.6 AC
BUILDING SIZE SUMMARY:
BUILDING SIZE RANGE (APPROX.)TOTAL (APPROX.)HEIGHT
TECH / R&D 10,000 -- 50,000 SF 100,000 SF ALL 2-STORY
OFFICE / R&D 2.5,000 -- 15,000 SF 80,000 SF 1, 2-STORY
COMMERCIAL 2,000 -- 6,000 SF 40,000 SF ALL 1-STORY
TOTAL 220,000 SFKEY MAP
TECH CAMPUS WITH 10,000 - 50,000 SF BUILDINGS
EXISTING MATURE TREES
CONNECTS TO EXISTING
PEDESTRIAN PATH WITHIN CENTER
NURSERY WITH
EXPANDED COMMERCIAL USES
(I.E. RESTAURANT, ART STORE, ART
CLASS, LIFE STYLE CENTER)
INTERNAL ROAD MINIMIZES CURB CUTS
AND OPTIMIZES DEVELOPMENT AREAS
INTER-CONNECTING TRAIL SYSTEM
INDUSTRIAL / BUSINESS
MULTI-TENANT SITE
SMALL PRIVATE PARK W/ RESTAURANTS
/ FOOD TRUCKS ACTIVATING AREA
TECH CAMPUS WITH 10,000 - 50,000 SF
BUILDINGS, SUPPORT COMMERCIAL ALONG
EL CAMINO REAL
FUTURE KAI LANA RESTAURANT
EXISTING INDUSTRIAL
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL IN REAR
WITH NEW INTERNAL ROAD SYSTEM
NEW DESIGN STANDARDS FOR
PROPERTIES ALONG HWY 101
TRAIL LINKS MULTIPLE PROPERTIES
OUTDOOR “GREEN ROOMS” ASSOCIATED WITH
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES LOCATED THROUGHOUT
EXISTING COMMERCIAL
SITE 1
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 7
Page 137 of 139
0
1”=100’ Scale 2019-02-20
100 200 400
SITE AREA: 21.5 AC
BUILDING SIZE SUMMARY:
BUILDING SIZE RANGE (APPROX.)TOTAL (APPROX.)HEIGHT
TECH / R&D 10,000 -- 60,000 SF 250,000 SF ALL 2-STORY
OFFICE / R&D AVG. 10,000 SF 30,000 SF 1, 2-STORY
COMMERCIAL 2,000 -- 6,000 SF 120,000 SF ALL 1-STORY
RESIDENTIAL 2-STORY
TOTAL 400,000 SFKEY MAP
SITE 2
SMALL LOT SINGLE-FAMILY AS TRANSITION TO JOBS CENTER
(RESIDENTIAL COULD BE THE INCENTIVE FOR LOT CONSOLIDATION)
FLEX OFFICE WITH AVERAGE 10,000 SF BUILDINGS
SUPPORT COMMERCIAL OR SERVICE USES
INDUSTRIAL / R&D CAMPUS WITH
10,000-50,000 SF BUILDINGS
TECH JOBS / OFFICE CLUSTER
WITH 20,000-60,000 SF BUILDINGS
CREATE INTERNAL ROAD TO ALLOW FOR
INFILL DEVELOPMENT OVERTIME
OPEN-UP BIG BOX TO ALLOW FOR A BROADER MIX OF
TENANTS AND CREATE INDOOR / OUTDOOR PLACES
EXISTING TREES
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 7
Page 138 of 139
0
1”=100’ Scale 2019-02-14
100 200 400
SITE AREA: 45.7 AC
BUILDING SIZE SUMMARY:
BUILDING SIZE RANGE (APPROX.)TOTAL (APPROX.)HEIGHT
TECH / R&D 10,000 -- 50,000 SF 300,000 SF ALL 2-STORY
OFFICE / R&D 3,000 -- 15,000 SF 50,000 SF 1, 2-STORY
COMMERCIAL 2,000 -- 4,000 SF 250,000 SF ALL 1-STORY
RESIDENTIAL 2-STORY
TOTAL 600,000 SFKEY MAP
SITE 3
SITE 4
TECH CAMPUS WITH 10,000-40,000 SF BUILDINGS
ACTIVATE INTERNAL ROADS WITH A MIX OF
USES FRONTING ONTO THE STREETS
INTERNAL TRAIL SYSTEM
OPEN-UP LARGE BOX FOR ENTERTAINMENT USE
AND CREATE STRONG INTERNAL CONNECTIVITY
INTERNAL ROAD SYSTEM CREATES ADDITIONAL
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL AND ALLOWS FOR A GREATER
MIX OF USES AND PLACEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES
TOWNHOMES AS TRANSITION TO LARGE LOT SINGLE FAMILY,
CREATE LIVE/WORK/LEARN ENVIRONMENT
(ALSO POTENTIAL INCENTIVE FOR LOT CONSOLIDATION)
FLEX OFFICE / R&D
MINIMIZE CORRIDOR ACCESS
LAURUS
COLLEGE
POTENTIAL FUTURE MEDICAL
OFFICE COMPLEX
SITE PLAN INTEGRATES COLLEGE TO CREATE
AN ACTIVE MIXED-USE ENVIRONMENT
NEW ENTRY
INTERNAL “MAIN STREET“
GATEWAY ELEMENT WITHOUT DOOR
CREATE INTERNAL “MAIN
STREET” ALLOWING FOR
INFILL AND PUBLIC SPACES
NEW INTERNAL ROAD CONNECTS THE
TWO COMMERCIAL AREAS, WITH 4
PERCENT GRADE CHANGE. USE SLOPE
FOR SPECIAL LANDSCAPING.
BREAK-UP
PARKING LOT
OPEN-UP BIG BOX FOR
ENTERTAINMENT USE INTENSIFY TO CREATE A MORE WALKABLE
COMMERCIAL ENTERTAINMENT NODE
EXISTING COMMERCIAL
BUILDING
EXISTING TREES AND
DRAINAGE AREA
TECH CAMPUS WITH 5,000-
30,000 SF BUILDINGS
ITEM NUMBER: 1
DATE: 07/11/19
ATTACHMENT: 7
Page 139 of 139